Coming to Terms
by SKYx10
Summary: Story starts during the "Lava Lake Beach" episode in season 3 of SVTFOE. This is a Kelco story (maybe) that will show what I would have liked happened in the show if I were to be in Marco's shoes, while obviously still trying to keep his overall character. It will follow the canon, as best as possible, and will involve fluff and all that good stuff. There will also be OC's.
1. Lava Lake Beach

**A/N** **: This is a story I've been wanting to do for a while. It's my take on how** _ **I**_ **, if I were in Marco's shoes, would have done/dealt with the whole situation that starts in the SVTFOE episode: "Lava Lake Beach." To me, this was the beginning/blooming of the** _ **Kelco**_ **ship, and I wish the show would have touched on it more but I understand that their focus is on the canon that is Starco. It's obvious lol. So, if it hasn't been obvious enough already, this will be another** _ **Kelco**_ **story that will** _ **somewhat**_ **follow the canon of the show. I may change that, I don't know yet.**

 **The reason** _ **why**_ **I ship Kelco instead of Starco** _ **more**_ **, because I still enjoy myself some Starco, is because I felt that Marco helped Kelly move on from an existential crisis in his own '** _ **Marcoish'**_ **way. Kelly turned around and picked up the pieces of Marco's heart, helping him try to move on from his own problems and heartbreak from the TomStar stuff in the show. They pretty much helped each other out of whatever pit they were in, creating a solid relationship in the process. The show didn't touch up on that but it hints at it, especially in the episode of "Booth Buddies" that show them riding on Nachos together. I am** _ **aware**_ **that that episode was indeed Starco centered, and enjoyed it, but still felt a little let down.**

 **Sorry for the long author's note, but it had to be addressed lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this story because I know I will. Also, if there's anything I get wrong based on the show's canon,** _ **PLEASE**_ **let me know. I have the attention span of a potato.**

 **Disclaimer** **: (This disclaimer actually belongs to** **jolleIQ** **, who I heavily recommend you all check out)** _**I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

The loud sounds of lava crashing into the rocky sides of the beach went unnoticed by the red-hooded boy and light turquoise-haired girl that were standing on the dark, but warm, sand of Lava Lake Beach.

The vibes they were giving off were those of pain and confusion.

"No, Marco. He hasn't moved out yet. [points at her hair] He's still _in here_." Kelly whispered with pain clearly evident in her eyes.

Marco did a double take, not believing what she had just said. "Wait, what?" said the shorts wearing boy.

[whispering] "He just isn't getting it, and I've already hurt him too much."

The eerie wind passed through the two individuals, providing a low but pleasing hum in the area.

"I could try talking to him." Marco said with an awkward smile.

Kelly gave Marco a hopeful look, "Really? Hmm, well, maybe he'll listen to you. You _are_ his best friend." she said with a light chuckle.

[laughs nervously] "I am?" the boy said with confusion.

[unfurls her ponytail and turns around] "Go on in."

"In there?" Marco says nervously, while pointing at her bushy hair.

"Yeah."

"In your hair?" he asked flatly.

"Get in 'hair'! Get it? [laughs] 'Get in hair'?" she finished with a titter.

Marco enters a large, open, but messy, space inside Kelly's hair. " _So this is what's inside Kelly's hair."_ he thought. A pizza delivery guy walks past him as he walked up to a sulking Tad, who was sitting on a lawn chair, hiding his face behind a smiling pizza box.

"Umm.. hey, Tad." he said with a nervous smile.

Tad lowers the pizza bow down, revealing a deeply sad bush with pizza running down the side of his mouth. "Oh, hey, bestie. [sighs] Kelly dumped me, again." Tad said, while licking some left over pizza on his chin.

"Yeahhh, [shrugs] that's why I'm here. She asked me to come talk to you."

"Are we getting back together?" Tad said with a hopeful tone and smile.

"No.. She needs you to move out, bud." Marco said sadly.

"She keeps saying that, but I've been looking." he said with shifting eyes.

"Oh! That's great. Where?"

"Mmm, like… on the back of these pizza boxes? Uh, inside these chip bags? At the bottom of these soda pops?" [drinking soda pop sadly, while searching for a chip in an empty bag]

"Look, dude, I felt the same way when Jackie and I split." Marco said understandingly.

[points soda pop bottle at Marco] "That's your 'B', man. Kelly and I break up and make up constantly. We'll get back together in no time, so why even bother getting out of this chair?" he said sadly.

"Tad… it's for real this time."

[Squints] "You're harshing my groove, Marco." [drops bag of chips on the floor]

"Dude, Kelly wants to _move on_. You should give her that chance." Marco tries to take Tad's pizza box away, but Tad resists.

"Come on, man!" Marco said, starting to get annoyed.

"No! Noooo!" Tad cried out sadly.

"You're just making yourself miserable hanging around her." Marco stated, feeling a slight pain in his chest as he did.

[sighs sadly] "You're right. You're the expert."

[smiles] "Well yeah, I'm an expert in many things- Wait, what? What are you talking about?" Marco asked with a raised eyebrow, while crossing his arms.

[shrugs] "How you're making yourself miserable hanging around Star."

"Whaaat?! [scoffs] What does Star have to do with it? [stutters] If anything, I'm miserable because… because Jackie dumped me." Marco said nervously. He instantly felt guilt and sadness after saying that, knowing that Tad was…

"Marco… you didn't come here for the Soulrise." he said plainly.

[puts his hands on Marco's face, eventually touching his eye] "Oh, Marco, Marco, Marco, Marco, Marco…"

Marco grunts.

[places finger on Marco's lip] "Shhh. I've been watching you all night. You have feelings for your best friend, dude."

"What?! [shakes head] Nooo! No. … No…" he whispered the last bit with a sad expression.

"Dude, you have _dimensional scissors_! You could be knocking back soda pops and crushing pizzas in any dimension! And you're _choosing_ to live with your unavailable _crush_? When it comes to making yourself miserable, you're the master, bro."

Marco goes wide-eyed and furrows his brow, "No, no. [slowly backing away] No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no."

"Hey, Marco, are you okay?... Buddy?" Tad asked worriedly.

[Wide-eyed] "Noooo… Noooo…" he said slowly.

Marco backs out of Kelly's bushy hair. _I Don't Wanna Know_ plays in the background, as Kelly kicks over a skull just as Marco comes out of her hair. "Hey, did you talk to him?" sh asked the red hooded boy.

Marco turns and runs away.

"Marco!" Kelly calls out from inside her hair.

Marco runs around the beach with his hands covering his ears. He sees multiple couples enjoying each others company, being affectionate and cheesy with each other, until he runs up a small hill of sand and stops. Up ahead was Star and Tom sitting on their beach towel, under the pink umbrella, and they were… _kissing_.

Marco's eyes began to shimmer, full of sadness, at the scene before him but he then closed his eyes and turned his back to them, walking away.

As the waves of lava moved up on the dark sandy shores littered with bones, trash, and broken ships, sat a contemplative teenage boy by some debris. He was zipping his hoodie's zipper up and down repeatedly, as he tried to process the fresh set of events. As he looked out towards the deadly lake, with half lidded eyes and a look of sadness, his mind continued to run.

' _What are you doing Marco?!... What are you doing?..._ [sighs] _Star is with Tom now, and both of them are_ _ **your**_ _best friends and they look happy_ … _I was stupid to come back from Earth thinking she would welcome me with open arms..._ _there's only one thing left to do now. I have to_ … _let Star_ … _go._ ' As Marco finished his thought, another resurfaced.

' _How am I going to do that?'_

"Oh, there you are. Whatever you said to Tad worked. He moved out. [smiles] I feel lighter already. Also, I think the zipper works, so… Yeah, you don't need to…" Kelly said.

Marco stopped playing with his zipper and turned to Kelly, which she noticed looked a bit sad, "I'm glad that worked out for you." he said with a blank gaze.

"I know that face. [jumps over hill of sand] Come on, Kelly's driving." She began to pull an unreactive Marco across the sand, grunting.

"I'll walk!" Marco finally exclaimed, still bummed.

They walked along the spooky beach. Kelly looked over to Marco, "You know, Tad and I? We used to come to every Soulrise."

"So why come here now?" Marco asked.

She gave him a small smile, "I love the Soulrise. I don't want it to be a place that makes me sad. The only thing I could think to do was face it. Rewrite it so it was mine again."

Marco turned to her, and returned the gesture. "That's very mature of you, Kelly." Kelly thanked him for the compliment by giving him a small nod.

Marco and Kelly walked up to a black and red lifeguard tower near the shore.

"Where…[pokes a skull on stick] are we? Should we even be here?" asked the safe-kid.

Kelly removed a skull off of a stick, "It's the best view of the Soulrise!" she said happily.

She aims and tosses said skull up into the tower, and it dislodges the ladder entrance underneath on its way down. She was leaning against one of the tower's supporters when it opened, exclaiming "Ladder!" as she gestured to it with her arms.

They climbed the narrow tower, finally reaching the top. "Wooww, you can see everything." he said. "Told ya!" quickly replied Kelly.

"I guess we should… go find Star and Tom, huh?"

"They don't need this. [she turns to Marco] They haven't earned it." she finished with a smile.

The lava started to ripple ominously. Marco glanced at Kelly and took off his hoodie, draping it around Kelly.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Kelly asked with a smile as she looked over at him.

"Oh, I was just… trying to… warmthen [gestures to Kelly]… you… You know… You looked cold." [groans]

Kelly wrapped herself in his red hoodie quickly, but then moved closer to him, giving Marco an understanding look as she draped half of the hoodie around him. Now they were both under his hoodie. "Thanks, I… I was cold." she stated.

They looked up at the sky, now waiting for the Soulrise to begin. Seconds after, the lava rippled once more as dark eerie clouds gathered in the sky. A giant rock-like eyeball emerged from the lake. As it rose out of the lava, it emitted a beam of bright light. Souls started to swim up the beam and release into the sky with screeching skeleton demons flying overhead.

It was a scene out of a horror show.

"Is… Is that thing…? [one of the flying skeletons flies past Marco's face] Aah! Oh! Ha-ha! Sorry."

The two continued to watch the Soulrise together. Marco glanced over to Kelly, "Is it past midnight?" he asked with a smile. She glanced down at her watch, "Yeah." she replied and went back to watching the creepy event.

"Then it's my birthday."

Kelly's eyes shifted back to Marco, "Happy birthday, Marco Diaz."

* * *

Marco and Kelly were walking back, still under the hoodie, to the spot they had all planned to see the Soulrise initially, and, on the way there, decided to learn more about each other. Marco told Kelly about his life on Earth, his family, the friends he had (Yes, even Janna), and some of the adventures he had with… Star, but he kept those to a minimum.

The reasons being obvious.

Kelly told Marco about her life, which he was excited about since he knew little about her, besides the Tad stuff, which no longer seemed to be the case. Apparently, Kelly was indeed _Mewman_ just 'different', as she had called it, and lived by herself in a small dimension called 'Pandora'. Well, she didn't live alone alone, she lived with her clan, whose name was too complicated to pronounce or remember at the moment for the red-hooded boy. She said that the dimension was _covered_ with plant life, especially trees that seemed to be "as tall as mountains" as well as plenty of animals to hunt.

"The reason my hair is green and shrubbery is because it provides good camouflage against predators. It's also very handy for storing stuff." she chuckled, to which Marco joined in.

"Wow, you remind me of an Amazonian woman?" he said with a slight chuckle.

Kelly gave him a confused look, "What's an 'Amazonian woman'? Is it bad?" she asked, worry slowly rising on her face.

[shaking his head rapidly] "No! I mean… not really. On Earth, there are stories as old as most civilizations that speak of a tribe of incredibly strong and beautiful women warriors that rivaled the gods themselves!" he said enthusiastically.

Kelly looked at Marco with a smile and jabbed his shoulder playfully. "So you're saying that I'm not only _beautiful_ but _strong_ enough to defeat mighty beings from your dimension?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Marco, finally realizing what he had just said, flared up instantly.

[Stutters] "I-I-I… yes?" he said, hoping to not have offended his new friend.

Kelly laughed at Marco's reaction, "So tell me [chuckles] how you know about that stuff?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, almost tripping on a rock that was sticking out of the sand. "Don't laugh okay. On Earth, I took a class that talked about myths and legends from history. The section that I enjoyed the most were about the Greeks, which happened to mention Amazonian woman. As part of a project, every group had to have one person dress up as one and well… I… [sigh] was the one that got stuck with the role. You can imagine the rest."

Kelly was about to burst out laughing, picturing Marco with a wig, but stopped herself when she saw how deflated he looked. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "I'm sure you looked fine, Marco. [chuckles] The women you speak of do sound like the ones in my clan, since it is _entirely_ made up of women… Now that I think about it, I think we have rules or something pertaining to contact with the opposite gender, but don't worry [she winks] I won't tell if you don't." she said with a grin.

Marco chuckled and slowly nodded. "My lips are sealed, Kelly… Wait, so does your tribe allow males _at all_?" he asked. Kelly tapped her chin, as if thinking, but shook her head after a few taps. "Our tribe _does_ interact with males of our species but… umm.. [she began to get nervous] we… are only allowed to do that when… it involves… _intercourse_." she said the last word quickly.

[Blushing] "W-Wow… that's ummm, tough, Kelly. I'm sorry to hear that?" he said awkwardly, trying to comfort her. "So did you and Tad-"

" _Oh gods **no**_! We **never** took that step…"

"Oh."

They walked in awkward silence for a few minutes.

She eventually looked over at Marco and smiled, "But don't worry Marco, I'll be fine… It does suck that I never met my dad because of it… but oh well. What can you do?" she said with a smile that Marco realized was forced. He wanted to ask more but didn't want to impose on her privacy, so he chose to leave that topic for another time. He also didn't want to say anything awkward like he had earlier. Good thing Kelly dodged the subject like a pro.

Kelly, noticing how quiet Marco had gotten, bumped into him playfully. "Hey, relax Diaz. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself." Marco looked at her, making eye contact, and gave her a small nod. "Alright Kelly, you win." he said, almost out of breath.

The heat was starting to get to him.

They continued to walk in a pleasant silence for a few minutes, until they saw Star and Tom up ahead… kissing.

Marco closed his eyes, taking a big breath and exhaled before he opened them, looking ahead with a blank stare. Kelly, seeing them kissing, shook her head a little annoyed. "I really don't want to be reminded of couples _right now_. [sigh] Anyway, thanks again for what you did Marco. [punches Marco's shoulder softly] It means a lot to me." she said with a small smile.

Marco, snapping out of his stupor, chuckled. "Anytime Kelly. That's what friends are for right?" he said while guiding Kelly away from a rock that was sticking out of the sand. She noticed this and couldn't help but smile. "The nickname 'Safe Kid' suits you."

Marco looked at her wide-eyed. "No! I'm a misunderstood _bad boy_!" he said, almost pouting. Kelly covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing, but failed miserably, causing Marco to roll his eyes. [chuckling] "Okay, _bad boy_ , I have a favor to ask you. [He turned to her] I'm going adventuring tomorrow and was wondering if you'd like to come, if you're available of course." she said with a grin.

Marco scoffed, "Are you sure you'd like a ' _Safe Kid_ " along?" he asked with a smirk. [rolling her eyes] "Marco, I _need_ a safe kid. I'm too reckless when it comes to these things. [sigh] Besides, I'm not allowed to go alone, clan rules." she said a little peeved.

After a few seconds of being in the heat and the puppy dog eyes Kelly was giving him, he cracked. "Fineee. I'll go with you." he said in defeat.

"Yes! This is going to be fun!" Kelly exclaimed, causing Marco to chuckle slightly.

"What's going to be so much fun?" Marco turned towards the direction that the words had came from and steeled himself.

It was Star, holding hands with Tom.

"Marco and I were just making plans for tomorrow, Star. No big deal." Kelly said to the princess. Star glanced between Marco and Kelly, noticing that they were practically hugging each other under Marco's hoodie, a frown slowly growing on her face.

"Well, _Kelly_ , it is a _big deal_ because Marco is _my_ squire and he is accompanying me on a very important mission tomorrow. So, he won't be going _anywhere_ with you tomorrow, _sorry_." Star said with a smile. Kelly squinted her eyes at Star, and was about to say something when she was stopped by Marco's hand.

[hand over Kelly's mouth] "Star, I'm sure _Tom_ would be delighted to go with you around Mewni to help get the royal youths signatures on your petition for the equal treatment of Monsters. Right Tom?" he said with a serious look.

[sigh] "Yeah, I would be happy to go with you Starship." the three-eyed demon said with fake enthusiasm. Star looked hurt by Marco's suggestion, "But Marco, this is a _very_ important and delicate matter. I _need_ my bestie with me." she said with puppy dog eyes.

For some reason, they didn't work on Marco.

"Star, _I_ don't need to be there for you to get those signatures. In fact, some of the royals owe me a few favors so just say that I'm collecting them to get their signatures if they get difficult. [He looks over at Tom] "This is a _perfect_ opportunity to show Star how serious you are Tom. Don't you agree?"

Tom simply nodded, mouthing 'thank you' at him, as he rolled his eyes. "So there you have it Star. I pretty much did all of the work _for you_. [looks at Kelly] So my schedule is free tomorrow." he said with a smile, causing Kelly to smile behind his hand.

Star put on a fake smile and nodded slowly, " _Great_. _Good work, Marco_. Can you open a portal to the castle? I don't feel so good for some _reason_." she said with hints of irritation in her tone as she laid her eyes on Kelly.

[pulls out dimensional scissors from his short's pocket] "Sure." [opens a portal]

Star leaned up to Tom and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and jumped into the portal, without saying goodbye. "Tom, you're good right? I have to take Kelly home." Marco asked his demon friend.

"Yeah, I'm good Diaz. I can walk home, it's not that far, so see ya!" he said, instantly using his flames and magic to fly out of sight.

"[shaking head] So much for walking. So Kelly, you ready to go?" he asked Kelly, who still had Marco's hand over her mouth and hadn't left his side from under the hoodie. She realized this and moved away from Marco.

[blushing] "Y-Yeah, I'm ready." she said quickly, causing Marco to raise an eyebrow at her, but quickly dismissed her odd behavior. "So, Pandora right? [she nodded] Hmm I don't think I visited a dimension like yours during my Trials…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing. [opens portal] Well, check if that's the right portal." he said to his bushy haired friend. Kelly peeked her head into the portal and pulled out just as quickly. [smiling] "Yup. That's the place alright. It's not the _exact_ location but it's not far from it so don't worry."

They stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, neither knowing what to do or say next.

[ahem] "T-Thanks again for the pick-me-up Kelly. I definitely needed that." he said with a small smile. She shook her head, "No thanks necessary Marco. That's what friends are for, right?" she said with a grin.

[smiling] "You're right." he replied.

Before he could say anything else, Kelly gave him a quick hug but separated just as quickly. [moves stray hair behind her ear] "I'll send you the information later. What's your mirror phone number?" she asked sheepishly.

Marco went wide-eyed. "I don't have one." he deadpanned, causing Kelly to chuckle.

"Don't _worry_ , Marco. Hmm, oh, I know! I'll send the information to Star and you get it from her!" she exclaimed with a smile, earning a groan from Marco.

"Is there another way? I don't want to… bother Star."

[tapping chin] "Well, your scissors can save locations right? [he nodded] Then just use your scissors! I'll meet you there at 8 AM Mewni time, though. [He gave her a confused look] My dimension is two hours ahead, so for me it'll be 10 AM." she said matter-of-factly.

"Ohhhh, that makes sense, I guess."

[rolls eyes and taps his chest with forefinger] "Well, don't be late _bad boy_." she teased.

Marco cocked an eyebrow at her, "I wouldn't dream of it, _Kells_." he teased back.

Kelly quickly turned to give her back to Marco, in order to hide the rapidly spreading blush on her face. "J-Just don't be late okay. Later, Marco." [jumps through portal]

Marco closed Kelly's portal and the one that lead to the castle, more specifically Star's room.

' _Wait, were Kelly and I teasing each other?_ " Marco though, but shrugged it away. ' _It's probably just my imagination. Besides, we both just got out of relationship problems, sort of, so that's highly unlikely._ '

He shrugged and opened another portal, leading to his room. He had to wake up extra early to explain to Sir Lavabo why he wouldn't be helping him out in the morning. [sigh] ' _Hopefully he doesn't get upset and make me do a hundred push-ups again_ ' he thought worriedly.

He was about to traverse the portal, when something shiny by his feet caught his eyes. He bent down to pick up the object and sighed. They were Kelly's glasses. ' _They must have fallen out when she turned around quickly for some reason_.'

He put the glasses in his short's pocket and walked through the portal.

' _I'll return them tomorrow. Hopefully she will be alright without them._ ' he thought as he stepped into his room. He placed the glasses on a table near his bed and headed towards the bathroom to shower. Once inside he took off his hoodie… Wait, [he patted himself] where was his hoodie?! He retraced his steps and relaxed after a few seconds of doing so. Kelly had taken his hoodie by mistake. She must have forgotten to give it back since she rushed back home.

He sighed and took off his grey undershirt, revealing a decently toned body but, sadly, no abs on the reflection of the mirror in front of him. Marco stared at his reflection with a blank stare, the scars all over his chest brought back _unpleasant_ memories from his Trials. Hekapoo had explained to him that any damage, such as scars, would disappear when he finished said Trials, but here he was, covered in scars, that began and ended on his upper body except for the arms. It's a surprise no one had noticed yet. It was probably because his red hoodie was doing such a _wonderful_ job of hiding them. He now had _several_ reasons to be conscious of his body.

Marco shook his head in order to focus, went back to undressing himself, and walked into the shower. Once he was done, the brown haired boy laid down on his bed, quickly glancing at the clock.

It was 1 AM.

He set the alarm on his clock _and_ phone, just in case, for 7 AM. He placed the phone under his pillow and laid back down.

He looked up at the ceiling and stared at it for a few minutes, until sleep began to take hold of him. As his eyes were beginning to fully close and finally be able to fall into a pleasant sleep, a memory from his Trials quickly passed through his drowsy mind.

 _An image of someone strapped and struggling on an operating table covered in blood and medieval tools of torture flashed through his mind. Someone else could be heard screaming from behind the room's door, until it went dead silent. A few seconds later, a person wearing an apron drenched in blood came through the door. The person's face was hidden behind a matching doctor's mask, who held a butchers knife._

 _Blood slowly dripping down from the blade, making a pool near the person's bare feet._

" _Let's make you feel better. Now hold still, this might hurt_ ** _a little_** _."_

 _The image blurred as the individual on the table cried blood curdling screams._

 _Suddenly, the door came crashing down and someone wearing a bright fiery orange dress stepped in, kicking the individual with the butcher knife into the wall. A sizable crack was heard from the impact._

 _The dress wearing individual walked up to the table, unstrapping the person from the bloody table._

" _I'm sorry. I'm Sorry. I'M SORRY." the individual wearing the dress said over and over, voice cracking and choked up from crying as the person tried to stop the bleeding with their hands, to no avail._

 _Tears were landing on the bleeding person's face... as they continued to bleed out._

As quickly as the memory came, it was gone, but Marco didn't seem to mind or care about it since he was fast asleep, as if nothing had happened. Completely unfazed.

He was used to such memories by now.

* * *

 **A/N** : **Wow that was fun! Well, not the last part but you know what I mean. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter from my new story. Most of it was dialogue from the show so not much in originality lol but I wanted to do it that way so I could set it up for things to come. It'll make sense, I promise. Anyway, thanks for any support on this. I deeply appreciate it so don't be shy if you'd like to PM me or anything, especially about suggestions to make the story better. I promise I don't bite lol. Well, once again, I hope you all enjoyed it and until next time. Peaceeee.** _ **Kelco 3**_


	2. Pandora

**A/N** : **Thanks you all for the support! It means a lot! I enjoyed doing this chapter, so hopefully you all will too.**

 **To** **kozmos350** **: Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you liked it. Cx**

 **To** **OmegaDelta** **: You may be onto something (tries to wink) but all I'm going to say is that I'm going to explore more on Marco's time in his trials since 16 odd years of being stuck in a different dimension, fighting for your life, would do a number to** _ **anyone.**_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

Marco's eyes shot open when his 'Space Unicorn' ringtone penetrated his eardrums through the pillow. He groaned, pulling out his Earth phone from under the pillow, and silenced the alarm. A sigh of relief escaped him, as if _something_ had been lifted from his body and mind.

Marco sat up from his bed with a smile and stretched, a few but pleasant popping sounds coming from his joints. He looked around his room, and noticed something was missing. His alarm clock was missing from the night stand near his bed. Suddenly, a cold sensation ran down his spine, causing him to shudder.

Marco glanced at his phone to check the time and scoffed. He looked up at the ceiling, closed his eyes, and groaned loudly, while rubbing his temples.

It was 7:30 AM.

Suddenly, the door to Marco's room was kicked down off its hinges. A certain blonde princess walked in, sporting her usual attire, the one with a tiny octopus on it and stripped stockings. She marched up to the edge of his bed, with her trademark smile, and took a deep breath.

"MARCO! Get up sleepyhead or we'll be late!" she said enthusiastically to an annoyed Marco.

"Star! What have I said about kicking down my room's door? [sighs] And go _where_? I thought I told you that I had plans with Kelly today, which I'm probably late to… [looks at Star's purse] By the way, have you seen my alarm clock?" he asked with a smile, causing Star to look around the room nervously.

"Uhh, nope. It must have ran away or something. [hides purse behind her back] Anyway, hurry up, Marco! You're coming with me to get those signatures, since it's your duty as _my squire_ to keep me safe and follow _my_ orders." she said with a smile. "Besides, you're late to whatever it was you were going to do with Kelly so you might as well come with me."

Marco began to chuckle, causing Star to raise her eyebrow at him. "Oh, wow, Star. I never knew you would use _that_ card against me. I guess there's a first time for everything. [Star raises her finger to interject] BUT, even if I am _your_ squire, I am not going to go with you today. Your mom, the _Q_ _ueen_ , told me that if I needed to take some time for myself during my time here then I should take it. In fact, she _ordered_ me to take it. So, I'm sorry Star but I'm taking some time to myself today." He said with a small smile.

One of Star's eyes began to twitch as she looked at her squire, but forced a smile on her face. "Alright. You can take today off for some _alone time_ , BUT, like you've said, it's time for _yourself_ so you shouldn't be with _anyone_ during that time. [Turns and heads to the door, stopping under the door-frame] Tom sent me a text earlier that he wouldn't be able to go with me… so I really wanted my bestie to come along. [turns to Marco, giving him a sad smile] I guess I'm on my own."

Marco sighed, got off his bed, and walked up to her, reaching to comfort her. "Star.." he said sadly, as his touch caused her to tense up. "What time do you need to be at Rich Pigeon's Castle so he signs the Petition of Friendship?" She looked up into his eyes, trying to fight a smile, "At noon." she said sadly, causing Marco to roll his eyes and sigh.

"Okay, Star, let's compromise. I'm going to join you for your petition signing that starts in about four hours [she perked up] BUT, before that, I'm going to go and spend some time before that with Kelly. Deal?" Marco asked. Star tapped her chin and, eventually, nodded with a smile.

"You got yourself a deal!... Just be careful, okay? [places hand on Marco's shoulder] I don't know what I would do if something happened to my bestie." she said with a sad smile. Marco gave her a reassuring smile, followed by a hug, surprising her by the sudden contact her bestie had shown. However, she didn't seem to mind it. In fact, she was _melting_ into his embrace and wished she could just give him a sweet kis-

[Backs away from Marco looking flustered] "W-Well, see you later Marco. I'll be in my room, so don't be late!" she exclaimed as she ran out of his doorless room and down the hall, out of sight. He sighed and looked at his phone, which now displayed 7:40 AM.

Great.

" _I'm going to have to take a quick shower and rush to Sir Lavabo to tell him I can't help today. I'm really going to be cutting it close, good thing I have dimensional scissors… Yea,.. it was worth it..._ " he thought before getting his stuff ready and rushing into the shower, hoping to make it on time.

* * *

The dimension known as 'Pandora' is a giant-living-breathing combination between a forest and jungles ecosystem. Many species of animals live there, ranging from small rodents to several story high predators. However, the deadliest beings on the planet were not the several story high dinosaur-alien-like predators, but a group of highly skilled warrior woman. Kelly was currently in her modest size hut, that was part of the camp of those deadly woman, and was pacing back and forth while holding a pillow of sorts, looking **_very_ **furious.

[Holding her head] "Uhhh! I can't believe they are still stuck in their old stubborn ways! You know what, screw this! I don't need permission to see Marco. I'm not a child anymore. I'm an _adult_! [throws pillow at the huts entrance, accidentally hitting someone.] Shit! Sorry, Cora."

Under the doorway stood a girl that looked similar to Kelly, the only noticeable differences being that she was taller, looked older, was wearing short shorts with a tribal vest, had dark green hair, didn't have any blush marks, had a darker skin tone, and had tribal marks running down her left arm.

[Throws pillow back at Kelly while laughing] "It's alright Kelly, you're just letting off some steam... I was walking by the Council's hut on my way here and overheard them arguing about something regarding a male coming here. Does your anger have to do _anything_ with that?" Cora asked, smirking at the angered girl.

Kelly sat down on her bed and put both of her hands on her head. "Yes, it does. The 'male' you overheard the elders speaking about happens to be a friend of mine, well, newfound friend. We somewhat knew each other before, though. Anyways, you know how we need to complete our trials in order to become an 'adult' but we have to take someone along since it's too dangerous? [Cora nodded] Well, I went up to the Council earlier, since I crashed hard when I got home from the Soulrise, and asked if I could bring a friend, who happens to be a male, to help me in my trials. They denied my request! They still cling to those stupid old traditions!" [grabs her pillow and screams into it]

Cora shook her head and walked up to sit next to her. "Kelly, look at me. [she looks up from the pillow] I understand that you're upset but let's break down the situation, okay? For starters, you already know that the Council are stubborn, _especially_ you-know-who, so the outcome of your request was obvious. [Kelly nods sadly into the pillow] Secondly, this male friend of yours, is he a different species/race? [Kelly once again nods sadly] Well there you go. The Council doesn't think very highly of species/races that aren't our own. The only male exceptions, as sad and weird as it is, are the Bush People from our dimension and we both know why they are allowed. [both girls shuddered] Lastly, and probably the most important, is that you are at the age of [ahem] _bearing children_ and the Council is _very_ strict when it comes to protecting our 'lineage' or whatever they call it." she said, while rolling her eyes.

Kelly sat up abruptly and began pacing back and forth, stopping in front of Cora with her arms crossed. "I'm not some _wench,_ Cora! And Marco wouldn't try anything, he isn't like that! He is kind and thoughtful, unlike those _Bush People_ who just laze around. It's a miracle they are still alive, even with our protection. [groans and sits back down next to Cora] Look, I ended things with Tad, for _good_ this time. I needed to know who I was without Tad, and me not liking him anymore only made things worse… then… Marco showed up. He looked like he was dealing with some things, I could tell, but even then he came to see if I was alright. Out of all my years being with Tad, _not once_ did he ask me if I was okay. But here comes someone, that I've known for _less than a month_ , asking if I'm alright. [scoffs] Marco helped me get the chance to find myself and happiness, without asking for _anything_ in return. He's the first guy that I've met that actually seems to **care** about what happens to people… even if they don't deserve it." she said, causing Cora to raise an eyebrow at her.

"This 'Marco' seems to have grown on you. [chuckles] Did you fall in love with him or something?" she asked with a smirk. Kelly turned several shades of red and began stuttering. "N-No! H-He's just someone that _I know_ is an awesome friend, that happens to be a male. Anyone who can put up with Star's antics deserves some serious praise. So… what do I do, Cora? Please, **help** **me**. He's probably on his way over here and he doesn't have a mirror phone to tell him the _wonderful_ news." she said sarcastically.

Cora saw the look Kelly was giving her and sighed. She stood up from the bed, walked past Kelly, and closed the huts door. She turned back to look at Kelly and shook her head. [Whispering] "You didn't hear this from me, but the Council doesn't _check_ the candidate's partner in the trials to see if they are male or female. They go by looks and I heard that _wigs_ are all in the rage today." she said with a wink.

Kelly's energy seemed to come back to her since she had a beaming smile. She ran up to Cora and gave her a tight hug, much to the older girls enjoyment. "Thank you, Cora! You're the best big sister ever!" stated Kelly, causing Cora to laugh.

"I'm your _only_ sister Kelly, [chuckles] so do you have a wig you can use?" she asked her beaming sister. Kelly tapped her chin a few times, but shook her head seconds later. Cora rolled her eyes, breaking the hug. "What color skin tone is your friend? [Kelly answers] Okay, here's the plan, Kelly. I have a wig that matches his brown skin tone, so you're going to go wait for me at the edge of the village, while I go get it. So when you leave this hut, look as sad as you possibly can, okay? So you don't attract attention. While you're getting your friend, I'll be waiting for you near the Council's hut and help more from there since I know you're not very good when it comes to communicating with them."

Kelly nodded and began to prepare things for her trials, which was mostly snacks and medical supplies since she had all her gear and weapons inside her hair. Cora smiled at her younger sister, then left to her own hut to get the brown wig.

Once Kelly was done, she did exactly what her big sister had told her to do. After she received the wig from her, she went to go meet Marco at the spot they had agreed to meet. As soon as Kelly got there, a portal opened up. From it stepped out an annoyed Marco, but seemed to relax when he laid his eyes on her.

"Hey Kelly, what's with the wig?"

* * *

Kelly was leading Marco back to the village through the dense undergrowth. As they walked on the dirt path, she had told him about the situation regarding him going there and of the plan her older sister had devised. They walked in silence after she had finished telling him everything, which worried Kelly. " _Did I mess up by not telling Marco the entire truth?_ " she thought as they continued to walk in silence, past trees and bizarre looking plants.

He sighed, causing Kelly to snap at attention and turn to him. " _Okay_ , so let me get this straight. You want me to dress up as a girl because your tribe doesn't like/allow other male species, besides those like Tad, into their premises?" he asked, receiving a sad nod from his bushy haired friend.

After what seemed like an eternity for Kelly, Marco shook his head at her, making Kelly fear the worst. "You're telling me to lie and break your tribe's laws Kelly, something that goes against my morals… but… I can't believe I'm saying this… O-Okay. I-I'll do it." he said with a sigh. Kelly's eye grew as big as dinner plates as a grin began to slowly spread across her face.

Seeing her expression, Marco felt a mix of happiness and dread since he was walking into the den of deadly women warriors who did not like _him_ , but seeing Kelly happy eased some of his nerves.

" _Weird._ " he thought.

Kelly leaned in towards Marco and gave him a bright and infectious smile, while nudging him playfully. "Thanks for doing this for me, Marco. I'll make it up to you, I promise... The reason I asked you to come here, [she smirks] besides being a _bad boy_ , is because I trust you.. a lot. I don't know why, I just do." she said with a sheepish smile, causing Marco to smile back.

"It's fine Kelly. I normally wouldn't do something like this [' _except with for Star_ ' he thought] but I trust you a lot too.. I guess that Soulrise stuff allowed us to instantly become the best of friends or something."

She chuckled and playfully punched his arm. "Alright, enough of that cheese dude. [looks ahead and notices the village is in sight]. We have to come up with a girl name for you. Do you have any ideas?" Marco hummed as he began to think of a name.

When he found one that was nice, he turned to Kelly with a smile. "How about Marcia? [Kelly mulled it over but shook her head] Oh come on, that's a good name." he whined. Kelly rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "It is a good name. It's just that it sounds a little _too_ similar to 'Marco' and the Council might pick up on that. I don't want to risk it." she said with a frown.

Marco nodded understandingly, since he didn't want to risk putting Kelly or himself in any unfavorable circumstances so he went back to thinking for a different name.

For some reason, his mind wandered to a specific Greek goddess. He nudged Kelly, gaining her attention. "How about Artemis? On Earth, she's known as the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness. Plus, she's known to be very conservative when it comes to male... [ahem] _interaction_." he said while blushing slightly. Kelly raised her eyebrow at Marco, but decided not to question him on the matter. Besides, she really liked the way that name sounded, maidenly, so she gave him a nod in approval. Kelly pulled out the wig from her hair dimension and handed it to Marco. He put it on with an annoyed look on his face, which made her laugh.

Moments later, they had finally reached the village.

" _Now let's hope that nothing bad happens._ " they both thought, as they nervously made their way to the Council.

* * *

The village was breathtaking, straight out of an elven fantasy show/novel. It was near a crystal clear lake that cascaded down into another lake, creating a waterfall. The 'huts' were more like two-story cabins, with pointy roofs, made out of the surrounding trees. The entire village was hugging the sides of an island-like rock, covered by grass and small trees, spiraling around it as it went up. The huts were sprinkled around in a decorative manner that had wooden walkways that allowed the inhabitants to go down to the lake near the rocks base or the one below to reach another set of huts, completely suspended above the water by a sophisticated, but modest, pier-like support system.

Near the bottom of the village, by the upper-lake, was the cluster that had most of the dwellings. In the middle of said dwellings was the Council's hut, easily being the biggest one. Its round structure was almost the same length of two regular huts; however, it had only one floor.

Kelly and Mar- [ahem] _Artemis_ stood side by side in front of the Council's hut, the red-hooded 'girl' looked around, taken back by how beautiful everything looked. He would be lying if he said he was expecting this over some dirt huts like the ones back on Earth.

Cora walked up from behind the two, startling them. "Relax you two. [looks at Marco and smiles] Hi! You must be my little sister's friend, I'm Cora. You must be?..." [Marco's attempt at a girlish voice] "I-I'm Artemis. Nice to meet you." he said with an awkward wave. Cora simply smiled at him, trying to hold back her laughter. "That's a very _interesting_ name, [smiles] I like it. Anyways, we should go inside to talk about your trials, dear sister. We don't have much time." she said calmly, while gesturing to the hut.

Kelly took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded. The duo followed Cora into the hut, and a wave of relief instantly hit both sisters. Cora gave Kelly a quick glance, as if saying 'you-know-who isn't here so this should go smoothly'. They both glanced at Marco to see how he was holding up, and were surprised to see that he wasn't nervous.

Kelly was kind of expecting Marco to be a nervous wreck while wearing a wig, after what he had told her on Lava Lake Beach, but he seemed calm and collected. Little did she know that this wasn't Marco's first rodeo when it came to wearing a wig, or acting like a girl for that matter, and he would like to keep it that way.

Marco noticed that the inside of the hut was a lot more spacious than what it appeared to be from the outside. In the middle of the hut was a roaring fire, being fed by pieces of wood, which was somewhat surrounded by a half-circle of wooden seats. There were a total of five seats, the middle one being the most ornate, making the other seats appear 'bland' when compared.

He then noticed that four of those seats were occupied by women that appeared to be… no older than Cora! He assumed them to be very important individuals, judging from their intricate set of clothes and markings on their arms. " _They look like the tribal tattoos from the people of Hawaii.._ " he quickly thought.

"What do we have here, my fellow sisters? It appears to be the rebellious Kelly that stormed out of this _sacred_ hut earlier today." said one of the council woman. "She also called us stubborn old ladies, stuck in our stupid ways." said another. The four shifted in their seats, causing Kelly and Cora to get nervous. However, Cora was quick to try and defuse the situation before it got out of hand.

[Bows to the four women] "Council women, my sister is _very_ sorry for disrespecting all of you and would like to apologize, _right Kelly_?" Cora said, while giving her sister a look saying 'go with it and _mean it_ ', causing her to nod. "I'm.. sorry for being disrespectful, council women, it won't happen again." [bows rigidly] The four rolled their eyes, almost in sync, which Marco thought was _very_ rude and weird, even if it was justified. He wanted to tell them something, but held his tongue. He was a guest after all and should tread carefully, especially when it came to dealing with highly skilled warriors. He had Hekapoo to _thank_ for that.

Cora, noticing Marco's annoyance, decided to step in just in case he had a change of heart, and mind, on being careful with his choice of words. She took a step forward and kneeled, surprising the duo. "We are here to discuss the initiation of Kelly's trials. [gestures to Marco] This is her partner, Artemis. We were hoping that the council would approve of her partner so she could begin the trials… She doesn't have much daylight to work with, and _today_ is the deadline for her to start." she said somewhat pleadingly, causing Kelly to look down in shame for seeing her sister lower herself because of her tactless ways with words and actions earlier.

The four matriarchs shared a look between themselves, all turning to Cora with a sad smile. A sense of dread spread through Kelly and Marco. [One of the matriarchs] "We all respect and value your insight as well as involvement with the tribe, Cora, but we don't feel the same way about your sister. She's short tempered, arrogant, and an array of other things. To make matters worse, she has broken up with her partner, Tad, voiding the contract they established by both our and their tribe! [Kelly's face, as well as Cora's, are in shock] Don't give us that look, child. News travels fast and there's nothing on this dimension that we don't know about!" she exclaimed, earning nods of approval from the other three.

"But-"

[The same matriarch] "But **nothing,** Cora. Our decision is _final_ , so as of now Kelly is to be removed from the tribe's lands and sentenced to exile where she will never retu-"

The door to the hut opened and a woman that looked like the spitting image of Kelly walked in, only _more developed_. She was taller and leaner, but obvious muscle was shown from the way her feathered tribal vest and skirt hugged her caramel-colored body. She had her hair into a long but beautiful braid, mesmerizing silver eyes, and a sharp look that could probably cut through any substance of any dimension. The way she confidently and gracefully walked up to the four matriarchs, which looked tensed, demanded absolute attention. She turned around and sat on her seat, that _now_ looked more like a throne to Marco.

She leaned forward and used her hands as a support for her head, looking at the trio with those intense silver eyes. "Would anyone like to fill me in on what's going on here? [glances at the four besides her] Hmm?" she asked, which sounded more like an order, without blinking.

Cora gulped and stood up from her kneeling pose, greeting the intimidating matriarch with a traditional bow. "M-Mother, I was just discussing Kelly's trials with the council to see if they could approve of it starting today, since the deadline _is_ today. However, they decided to deny her request, _again_ , even though she apologized for her disrespectful actions from earlier and were about to sentence her to a permanent exile… She has also acquired a new partner, as you can see, [head matriarch eyes Marco but he doesn't flinch or shrink under her gaze] so we would appreciate another vote on the matter." Cora said with unwavering eyes.

She nodded slowly, still eyeing Marco, making both of the sisters nervous. The head matriarch stood up and walked up to Marco, stopping mere inches from him. Cora had gotten her mother's height so Marco had to look up at the tribal woman, since she was few inches taller than him. "What's your name? She asked.

"It's Artemis, ma'am. A pleasure in meeting you." he replied, trying to copy Cora's earlier bow to her mother, causing the woman to smile.

[Looks at Kelly who tenses up] "You've got yourself a nice and polite friend, my little Kelly. She has _manners_ , unlike that Star Butterfly you brought once. Moon must be going easy on those lessons." she said with a smile, which Kelly simply laughed nervously about. "So, [moves hair from Marco's face, unfazing him] how did you meet my daughter?" she asked. He took a few seconds to answer, deciding in his mind that it was better to tell _most_ of the truth, making Kelly and Cora nervous. [Girlish voice] "Your daughter and I met during a trip to get some Goblin Dogs but we talked more during one of my… _brother's_ end of the year parties on the dimension known as Earth. We started off as acquaintances but recently became really good friends due to some _relationship problems_ , which we helped each other get over." he said confidently, receiving a few nods from the woman.

"Right, the whole break-up with the chief of the Bush People's son. [Glances at Kelly and Cora] I'll need more details on that later. [Looks back down at Marco] Did my daughter explain to you what the trials entail or it's meaning? [Marco shook his head] I thought so. Okay, I'll explain it briefly to you since you have shown nothing but respect and good manners to us." she said with a smile.

She was about to start explaining when Marco rose one of his fingers. "Sorry to interrupt, but I haven't gotten your name, miss?..."

The room went silent. No one had **ever** interrupted the matriarch when she was speaking or about to be. The air grew tense. She looked at Marco, raising an eyebrow at him, placing a hand on his shoulder… and then smiled. "You're right, young one. [She chuckles] My name is Liliana, but you may call me Lily." Everyone in the room couldn't believe their eyes or ears. Their fearless leader/mother had just allowed an _outsider_ to call her by her nickname. No one has called her that since… her 'late' husband, a _male_.

Marco assumed she was just being friendly so he didn't think much of it. The little display in front of her daughters had opened their eyes, especially Kelly's, to Marco, seeing him in a new light. He just had received their respect and, more importantly, that of their mother, the leader of their clan.

[Pats Marco on the head lightly] "Now that formalities are over and done with, let's get to the important matter at hand: my daughter's trials and her request on taking said trials with her friend, Artemis. So, Artemis, the trials my daughter neglected to inform you about happen to be life threatening. Do you still wish to participate with my daughter? [he nods, causing her to smile] Alright, the trial consists of three tests, and gets more difficult as it progresses. The first trial requires that my daughter, or you, to acquire the tusk of a sacred beast we call ' _Yhorm_ '. You are allowed to use anything to complete the trials, _except_ , and I **cannot** express this enough, magical items. Use of such items will immediately disqualify all participants, understood? [Marco nods] Good."

"Second thing, if my daughter,or you,does not acquire the tusk before noon tomorrow then she will also be disqualified and you will be banned from ever coming here again, understood? [Marco nods again] I like your confidence, kid... Lastly, [looks at Marco and smiles] there are no _wigs_ allowed."

Cora, and Kelly's heart stopped.

They had been busted and the penalties were _**very**_ bad.

Marco removed the wig, placing it on the ground next to him. He looked up at Liliana and shook his head. "I knew something felt off when you touched my shoulder. You were inspecting if I was a girl, am I right?" he asked as he stared into her silver eyes.

She leaned forward, inches away from his face, "You must be Marco Diaz, the boy my Kelly was so eager to bring along. [He nods] Well you three know that there will be consequences for trying to break tradition and for going against the Council's decision, right?" [All three nodded sadly]

She turned her back to them, making them fear the worst but, for some reason, Marco wasn't afraid for his life. Liliana cleared her throat and turned back to the trio, confusing them since she had a smile on her face. "The punishment for you, Cora, will be to stay in your hut until your sister and her friend come back from the trials. [Winks at Cora] If they fail, you will join them in their exile." [The other matriarchs began to voice their opinion, saying that the punishment should be immediate exile and that Kelly shouldn't be allowed to take the trials, like the rules dictate] She turned around, and they instantly stopped talking.

[Turns to her other daughter] "As for you, Kelly, the punishment will be a reduced time on your trial. The deadline is now dawn of tomorrow, not noon. [Turns to Marco] As for our outsider _male_ friend, his punishment will be… _death_ , **IF** he comes back empty handed." she said with a smile at the wigless boy.

Cora and Kelly were about to protest, but stopped when they saw Marco raise his hand at them, in a calm manner. He smiled, pulled out his dimensional scissors, and handed them to Liliana, who went wide-eyes as well as the other matriarchs. "Then it seems that I don't have a moment to waste, huh? [Bows to her and turns towards Cora and Kelly] Come on, let's get this over with." he said with such confidence that the girls simply nodded. They were speechless.

Marco was about to start walking towards them when Liliana grabbed onto his shoulder stopping him. Everyone's breath hitched at her sudden movement. Marco looked over his shoulder and saw that Liliana was staring at him with a confused expression. Everyone was still until, after a few seconds in heavy silence, she let him go.

He smiled at her and walked out of the hut, followed by the stunned girls. Liliana stared at the doorway, and then glanced down at the dimensional scissors in her hands. She saw the name 'Marco Diaz' engraved on it, and sighed. ' _That must be the kid Hekapoo talked about… poor kid._ ' she sadly thought.

One of the matriarchs walked up to Liliana. "The council never approved of her taking the trial, and your vote does not hold more value over ours." she said coldly. She turned to her with a cold-blank gaze, causing the matriarch to take a step back. "I _**know**_ that the four of you don't like my daughter, and I take serious offense to that. Everyone is judged equally here, so she deserves a chance at becoming an adult by passing her trial. As for the male, [she smiles and raises the scissors over her head] he has proven himself to me _and_ Hekapoo. These scissors attest to his skill and grit as a warrior. Besides he reminds me of… [turns to the door and begins walking towards it] I'm going to visit an old friend, so don't wait up for me. [Opens the door but stops and looks back to her fellow matriarchs] Oh, and Diana, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. Same goes for you three." she said with an authoritative tone.

She walked out of the hut and looked up at the sky, noticing dark rain clouds rolling in. ' _I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out that his little girl is with a boy,_ _ **all alone**_ _in the forest [smiles]_ … _He really does remind me a lot of_ _my husband, they both are even from the same dimension. They even like the color red... interesting. I may introduce Marco to him, depending on how he does. Hopefully my daughter doesn't screw up her trials, but I'm sure Marco will keep her safe… for his sake._ ' she thought with a smirk, before taking out a pair of obsidian dimensional scissors and opening a portal. She stared into the portal, deep in thought, before walking through it.

Lightning illuminated the once calm blue skies, followed by the sounds of thunder.

Shortly after, it began to rain.

* * *

 **A/N : I was seriously debating if Kelly should have a father in this story, like an alive one, and decided to go for it. It'll make the story more interesting that way, in my opinion lol. Also, this chapter was a bit longer than I wanted it to be (3500-4000 words) but I couldn't stop typing lol. The reason I wanted to keep it between those numbers is due to the fact that I have another story as well, and I want to have time to properly think and write it out. The other one takes more time since it's an AU, so more original stuff lol. This one will have original content too, but will mostly be canon until the, current, last episodes of SVTFOE. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave some feedback on it. (x Until next time, peaceee.**

 **P.S : Only Kelly's mom knows that her husband is alive, just in case it was a little confusing at the end.**


	3. Trial 1

**A/N** **: Thanks for getting this story to 700 views! It means the world to me! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **OmegaDelta** **: You'll find out more on that in this chapter.**

 **son of wind** **: Thanks for the kind words! I try to focus more on dialogue since I like how different characters interact. And you got your wish on there being more lol hope you like it.**

 **ClarkToasti** **: Thanks! Hope you like this one too.**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

The forest's density was shielding Marco and Kelly from the rain as they walked through the silent forest, in, well, silence ever since they left the village and her 'trial' began. It was making Marco a little nervous since he felt like he was a little rude to Kelly's mom and might have overstepped in someone else's culture, but didn't know what she was thinking about the whole thing. He decided to write off her silence as her concentrating on the task at hand: getting a tusk from the sacred beast called ' _Yhorm_ '. Another reason why he was nervous was because he was in an unknown forest, to _him_ , and they were being timed. ' _I should be concentrating too. My life is on the line after all… I wonder what the beast looks like._ '

"M-Marco?"

He was brought out of his stupor and turned to Kelly, noticing that she wasn't facing him. "Y-Yea?" he replied. Nothing was said after that for a few minutes. "Sorry!" she said abruptly, now facing him. Marco gave her a confused look, "Why are you apologizing?"

[Begins to play with her sweater's sleeve] "I got you into this mess. I-I should have told you _everything_ before asking you to come and now your **life** is in danger! A-And and!-" [Grabs a hold of her shoulder, stopping their walking] "Kelly, it's fine. I would have come along anyway and the fact that my life is on the line isn't… isn't new territory for me so calm down, please." he said with a small smile.

She shook her head, eyes beginning to water. "B-But Marco! You could die! My mom's punishments always go through!" she exclaimed. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, confusing Kelly. "Kelly… Listen to me. [Opens his eyes and she noticed they were devoid of any fear or doubt] I'm going to be fine so don't focus on me, focus on your trial. That is priority _numero uno_ , okay? Now, [gestures forward] tell me about this sacred beast while we stroll through this lovely [ _and humid_ ] forest." Kelly, for some reason, couldn't say or find anything that would go against what he had just said about being fine. The level of confidence in his voice and actions made her believe his statement to be _fact_ [odd] so she nodded and walked ahead. Marco sighed, wrapped his sweater around his waist, since it was getting too hot for him, and followed after her.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. [Moves branches out of their path] You're saying that this sacred beast has four stubby legs, a rough armor-like hide, two horns protruding from its face, and it's somewhat slow? [Kelly nods] Wow, it sounds like a Rhino to me." Kelly raised her eyebrow at him, "What's a _rhino_?" she asked quizzically.

"O-Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're not from Earth, sorry… Anyways, are we almost near the beast? We've been walking for [checks digital watch] about thirty minutes and it's beginning to get darker and darker the farther we go- [notices that Kelly isn't following her so he turns back and sees her standing still, worry plastered on her face] Umm, Kelly, is something wron-"

A booming roar was heard from behind Marco, causing his instincts to kick into action. He dove out of the path of whatever had made that sound just in time or he might have been trampled, or impaled. Marco used his hands to catapult himself up to his feet and readied himself. He paled at the sight before him.

Kelly was being pinned between what he thought looked like a rhino, only bulkier with steel-like skin, and a massive tree. The sacred beast's razor sharp tusks had missed Kelly's body; however, she was stuck in between the gap of the two tusks and against the tree, and couldn't get out. She was a sharp movement away from being cut in half and was trying to pry herself free, to do _anything_ to get herself out, before the beast did.

It was a race against time.

Kelly looked up from her struggling body and made eye contact with Marco. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, filled with absolute fear for her life.

Marco blinked and, when he opened his eyes, ran to her aid. While on his way to her, the world seemed to slow down to him. It was probably due to how much adrenaline was being pumped into his body, causing his entire being to go into overdrive.

Marco reached a panicking Kelly and realized he didn't have time to console her, no matter how much he wanted to. He looked down into the beast's eyes and saw rage and pain in them, so he knew that there wasn't going to be a way to do things peacefully since it was so lost in its emotions, kind of like that time he…

Marco's eyes glazed over, giving them a cold and lifeless look. Marco grabbed the beast's snout and began to push it away from Kelly. At first, nothing happened but then the beast groaned. It was being pushed back, slowly, but still!

Marco continued to push the reluctant creature, allowing Kelly to finally fall down to the ground where she could do nothing but stare in fear and awe at what her friend had/was doing! The two continued their struggle until Marco did a sudden jerk with his arms towards the ground, while holding the beast's snout, causing it to tip over and fall.

The sudden sound of it hitting the ground snapped Kelly back into reality. She saw that the beast was struggling to get up, but couldn't due to its weight, and Marco looking down at it with his arms at his sides. She got up, ignoring the soreness of her entire body, and walked up to him.

[Places hand on his shoulder] "M-Marco, you okay?" she asked.

He didn't respond.

"Hey… are you ok- [he slowly turns to look at her over his shoulder and a breath catches in her throat] …"

She was staring into Marco's eyes… at least, she thought they were his. They were half lidded, brown had been replaced by a dark and dirty gold that swirled around. It looked beautiful but… empty. "Ma-Marco?" she said nervously. He looked back down at the struggling beast, and just stared at it, expressionless. He kneeled down and grasped onto one of the horns with one of his hands. The beast could do nothing but stare into Marco's strange, but hypnotizing, golden eyes as it struggled to flee.

The beast grunted and stopped moving.

Kelly feared the worst when she saw the creature's body sag. She had seen it many times when the clan hunted, even when she hunted, but this seemed… _unnatural_.

Marco stood up to his feet, startling Kelly, and faced her. "H-How did you-?" He extended his hand and dropped a tusk on hers, and she just gawked at it. After a few seconds of doing that she hesitantly looked up to Marco, noticing that the gold was fading from his eyes, as well as the emptiness.

Before she could say anything to him, he gasped for breath as if he were drowning and covered one his eyes as if it were in pain. This brought Kelly back to 'concerned-friend mode'. "Marco!" [Tries to reach out to him but he stops her] "I-I'm fine, Kelly. I'm fine… [removes hand from eye and looks at her] Sorry if I scared you." he said with a guilty smile, causing her to give him an angry look. "DUDE! What the hells was that!? First, you push a sacred beast away _bare handed_ , which is kind of impossible since they weigh over _five krams_ , and then you just _tip it over like it's_ _ **nothing**_!? [Jabs his shoulder causing him to stagger back] That's not **normal**!... Is it dead?!" she exclaimed.

Marco didn't look at her, only facing the ground. He scoffed, shook his head and walked over to the beast, performing the same thing he did earlier. Kelly moved to stop him but stopped in her tracks when the beast grunted and began to move sluggishly. Marco walked over to the creatures side and helped it up by using his body as a wedge while the creature used its legs to push itself up. It took a good minute for the creature to get back on its feet. The teenage boy petted its back, which received what sounded like a satisfied grunt from the beast. "Well, _Yhorm_ , thanks for the tusk and sorry for pulling it out like that. I'm just glad I didn't hurt you when I took it…" he said sadly. The beast blew air at Marco's face and began to lick him, causing him to laugh.

After that, the sacred beast turned around and walked back into the dense part of the forest, happy that it didn't have to deal with a loose tusk anymore.

He stared into the forest and sighed, giving his back to Kelly. "It reminded me of when I had a loose tooth. [Chuckles] I was one angry five-year old during the entire time that it was loose, but calmed down when it was taken out… Yeah..." He turned around and walked past Kelly, heading down the path towards the village, leaving Kelly behind.

She glanced down at the tusk and cursed at herself. The horn had no blood, it was _clean_. She headed down the same path Marco took, cursing at herself along the way, failing to notice a large shadow over the place where things had transpired moments ago.

The giant shadow slowly faded into the background of the forest, without a sound.

* * *

After walking for another thirty minutes they reached the village, Kelly and Marco walked into the Council's hut and presented the tusk to the five matriarchs. Kelly's mom inspected the tusk and laughed. "You pass. [Looks at Marco] It seems you got lucky that it had its tusk loose." Liliana said with a smile. Marco gave her a polite nod, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. She glanced over at her daughter and saw that she had a guilty expression mixed with self bashing. ' _Something must have happened between the two…_ ' she quickly thought.

Marco cleared his throat, gaining all of their attention. "I don't mean to be rude, but is it alright if I leave? I promised Star [Kelly slightly cringed, which her mother noticed] that I would accompany her on some royal duties that start at noon [checks digital watch] and I would like to rest before I do so." he said in a polite manner.

Liliana noticed that he was drenched from the rain, wondering why he had his hoodie around his waist instead of wearing it to protect from the rain. "Wouldn't you like to get out of those wet clothes first? I'm sure I got some clothes that fit you." Marco smiled but shook his head. "Thanks, Lily, but I'll be fine... Always have." His response caused the matriarch's heart to tighten from the pain.

His response was not to reassure _her_ but to reassure _himself_.

She sighed and nodded. [Gestures for him to walk over to him, causing Kelly to suddenly become interested with the wall to her right when he passed near her] "Here you go [hands over his dimensional scissors] and before you go I have _your_ reward." she said with a smile. Everyone looked confused since there wasn't a reward to give to him… then they all gasped when they laid their eyes on the two, staring in absolute shock.

Liliana, master hunter/assassin and leader of a clan of dangerous woman known throughout the dimensions that thought men were inferior, had her lips against Marco's forehead!

She pulled back and saw Marco's face glowing red. She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "That's for taking care of my daughter. You're also welcome to come back any time, just notify any of my daughters before you do. [Chuckles] It's for safety reasons. Oh, and another thing, I've decided that Kelly isn't allowed to continue her trials without you as her partner. [She glanced at her daughter who was rubbing her arm guiltily and looked back to Marco] However, I won't force you if you don't want to, so what do you say?"

Marco glanced at Kelly over his shoulder and turned back to face Liliana. "Sure, I don't mind. [Cora walks into the hut] Lily, could you do me a favor? [Liliana smiled and nodded at him] Could you check Kelly for any injuries? _Yhorm_ gave us a scare… and I think that she isn't very good at hiding it." he said plainly.

The matriarch blinked at him a few times then looked over at her daughter, who had her hand wrapped around her waist a little to tight. She walked over to her and removed her hand, causing Kelly to wince. Sure enough, there was a bit of blood seeping into the sweater but it didn't look serious. "You're very perceptive Marco [smacks Kelly on top of her head] and you're careless." Cora chuckled at her sisters misfortune, but stopped when she saw Marco walking towards her. She still hadn't gotten over the fact that her _mother_ was acting all chummy with someone she had _just met_ and a _teenage male_ at that!

Marco stopped in front of her and smiled, "Hey, Cora, do you mind giving me your contact mirror phone information? [Takes out a pen from his pocket and hands it to Cora] You can write it on my arm, since I don't have paper on me."

"M-My mirror phone? Umm, sure, here. [Writes it on his forearm in blue ink] Why did you need it, Marco?" she asked curiously.

"Well your mom told me that I'm welcome to come back here anytime, but that I need to inform you or Kelly before actually coming over. She said it was for safety reasons?"

[Chuckles] "Oh, yeah, we don't take kindly to unwelcomed guests… Anyway, are you okay? You look exhausted." Marco was indeed exhausted, to the point where he wanted to collapse and _**sleep** _but he couldn't do that, at least not yet. He sighed while brushing his hair back, "I'll be fine. I'll take a nap when I get back to the castle but, before that, I have to make a quick stop at Quest Buy and buy myself a mirror phone." he said dejectedly, causing Cora to laugh.

"You don't have a mirror phone, Marco?" asked Liliana as she appeared next to her oldest daughter. "I thought the _future Queen's_ squire was to be properly equipped? Well that's no problem, here." She handed him a red mirror phone, making him squeal internally. [Smiles] "I can see that you like it. After my daughter and you left to complete the first trial, I went to meet up with an old friend of mine and we so happen to meet at Quest Buy. It was her idea to get you one. I'm… sure you know her Marco, since she's the one that made and gave you your scissors." she said with a small smile.

Marco looked at the device in his hand and nodded with a smile, causing the matriarch to internally sigh in relief. ' _I thought he was going to reject it. Hekapoo was worrying over nothing._ ' He opened the device up and, after a minute of setting it up, he input Cora's information.

"M-Marco, do you want my mirror phone information?" asked Kelly nervously from behind him. Marco simply turned around and tossed his phone to her. "Go ahead, _Kells_ , and I'm sorry for earlier. I'll… explain things later, okay?" She gave him a wide smile and nodded, happy that he wasn't upset with her for being _so_ dramatic in the forest.

But was she dramatic?

She certainly thought she was.

Kelly walked over to Marco and handed over his phone, her mom giving her a playful jab when she went to stand next to her, causing the bushy haired girl to roll her eyes. Marco placed his new mirror phone inside of his pocket and turned to face the three of them. "I really have to get going now. It was a pleasure coming here and thanks for the phone. [Chuckles] Now I can nap longer and… [his expression fell but quickly returned to normal, however the three noticed] and… maybe call my parents… Anyway, thanks for everything." he said with a bright smile. He pulled out his scissor and opened a portal.

He was about to walk through, when he stopped midway and looked over his shoulder, eyes landing on Kelly. "Oh, Kelly, I almost forgot. You're invited to Star's Stump Day Celebration, but it's also her birthday so I'm going to throw her surprise party. So you're invited to both? Haha umm, yeah… I hope you can come. You're kind of like my only other friend on Mewni besides Star and Tom so yeah, hope you come." he said nervously while rubbing his neck. She was about to answer when her mother stepped in front of her.

"She'll love to go! Take care!" [She ushered him through the portal and it closed seconds after] She turned to face her daughter with a serious look, making Kelly and Cora nervous. "Kelly."

"Y-Yes, mom?"

"Marco has had… a troubling life and needs a friend right now."

"I know that, he just came out of a break up and-"

" _That is not what I meant._ [Pinches the bridge of her nose] Look, Marco has been through… life changing things and I'm honestly surprised he's the kind and sweet kid that he is. [Sighs] Just try not to give him a hard time, okay? Same goes for you Cora- don't make that face just listen- he needs friends at the moment, not headaches. Oh and if you see or notice anything, I don't know, _weird_ about him let me know." she said softly, but it still sounded more like a command.

Kelly and Cora looked at each then turned to their mom. "Why are you so interested in him, mom? He doesn't look like anything special- don't look at me like that little sister I'm just calling it like I see it- so what's the deal?" Cora asked with a raised eyebrow.

Liliana rolled her eyes at the question and scoffed. "You two are blind if you can't see how- [she turned to her fellow matriarchs who got the hint and left, leaving the three alone] how special he is. For one, with proper training, he could take me on with one hand tied behind his back and not even break a sweat. ' _He was strong enough to take on Hekapoo at the age of thirty with no real focus on training. He was trying to survive for the majority of the time… I can't even imagine what he can do with a few years of proper training…_ [she smiled and her daughters looked at her weird] _He is a chest full of surprises and when it opens… I can't wait to see what's inside._ '

"Hellooo, Pandora to mom, are you daydreaming again?" asked Kelly, bringing Liliana out of her stupor.

"I think you should lay down Mom, because you're saying some weird stuff. Marco can beat you in a few years? Yeah, right. Next, you're going to say that Marco is actually a thirty year old stuck in a fifteen year old's body." Cora said while laughing, but stopped when she saw her mother and sister's serious face.

"W-Wait… That's true?" Cora asked.

"I did hear from Star that Marco was in Hekapoo's dimension for a very long time to get dimensional scissors… I don't know how long though." Kelly said sadly.

"It took him sixteen years to complete her trials, _all alone_ , but he's back to his normal age... _physically_... Anyway, that's not important, just **do** what I **said**. [Pulls out dimensional scissors] I'm going to run some errands so stay put until I get back and, Kelly, Marco is Marco no matter what, remember that." Liliana said with a smile. She then opened a portal and left, leaving the two sisters alone to process what they had just learned.

"W-Wow. That's…" Cora frowned and left the hut to who knows where.

Kelly made her way back to her own hut and plopped on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.

' _Marco has a lot of baggage…_ [facepalms] _I'm such a bitch! I'm over here criticizing him when he's gone through so much!… But how much?_ [Remembers what happened at the forest] _Those eyes… he must have gone through some_ _ **serious**_ _stuff and yet he goes around helping people,... like me._ [Covers her face with a pillow] _I'm a terrible friend. I can't even notice when one of my friends is hurting and, to make matters worse, I yelled at him! Uhhh!... I have to make it up to him. He has shown me nothing but kindness, helped me in my trials after no one else would even after I basically_ _ **lied**_ _about what was actually going on, and… and saved my life._ [Yells into pillow] _I can't believe he still considers me a friend… a best friend! Yeah, I'm going to make it up to him, I have to... My mom's right: Marco is Marco no matter what._ [Smiles into pillow] _And the Marco I know is awesome so he deserves better, like me and not Star… Wait._ '

[Pulls pillow down her face slowly] ' _W-What was that?... Okay, weird... Anyway how am I supposed to make it up to him? And what is that lovely smell!_ [Notices it's coming from under her pillow so she checks it out and does a double take] _Why in the hells is Marco's hoodie under my pillow!? Wait… it's the one that we used as a makeshift blanket at Lava Lake Beach, since I can still smell a little bit of sulfur but_ _ **wow**_ _. Why/How does it smell_ _ **so**_ _good?_ [She unconsciously puts it up to her face and inhales deeply but instantly puts it down] _Why the hells am I smelling it!? Am I going crazy or something!?... But… It does smell really good. I wonder what he does to make it smell so good… No, focus Kelly. How can you make it up to him? Well… I haven't gotten him anything for his birthday and he was wearing a watch today. That's it! I'll get him a new hoodie, wait what? I mean watch, yeah, I'll get him a new watch._ _I'll just keep his hoodie for safe keeping until he asks for it back…_ _ **hopefully**_ _he doesn't._ '

Kelly then put the hoodie on, zipped it up, and instantly felt drowsy, blankets wrapped around her body. ' _Wow. This is going to be part of my pajamas... I really should give it back though…_ [her eyes closed and began to drift into sleep] … _or maybe not.'_

She was out like a light, even though it was barely about to be noon on Pandora.

* * *

Marco stepped into his room and collapsed onto the ground. He laid there for what seemed like an eternity, unmoving, face against the ground.

' _You messed up… You messed up Marco. Once again you had to rely on_ **it** _._ [Closes eyes] _Kelly thinks I'm not normal, and I can't blame her.'_

 _ **'I'm not normal**_ _.'_

 _'No, stop thinking like that. You'll only end up spiraling downwards. Besides, she did give me her number so it's not like she hates me._ ' His new phone vibrated, causing it to slide out of his pocket, so he faced it. He opened his eyes and felt his worries begin to fade.

The screen was flashing on and it displayed the name: **Kells** , with a sword symbol next to it.

Marco smiled and sluggishly grabbed the phone, opening it. Once he opened it, a generic message chat that is common in phones from Earth appeared, displaying Kelly's message:

"Hey Marco! I forgot to say this in person but… thank you! Thank you for helping me today and for saving my butt!... Butt?... I didn't mean it like that! Wait, why am I typing this down! [Marco chuckled] Anyways, thanks. It means a lot to me… About… About what happened in the forest, don't worry about it. Sure, I was a little startled but that's because I wasn't expecting you to be so… overpowering? Awesome? Yeah, let's go with that haha… If you ever feel like talking, I'm all hair haha get it? Bad joke Kelly… But seriously, If you ever need to talk or just hang out then just know that I'll always be available. We are best friends after all" - Kelly (smiley face)

' _Best friends._ ' Marco closed the phone and got up as if he was never tired in the first place, fully rejuvenated. Once he got up, his eyes landed to something on his bed.

They were Kelly's glasses.

' _I must have forgotten them in my rush to get over there… I also forgot to ask for my hoodie back. Eh, she can keep it. It's not like I need hoodie #9 anyway and I'll just return her glasses when she comes over for Stump Day/Star's surprise party. Now that I think about it… why hasn't Tom talked to me about it? Surely he must be planning something-_ '

There was a knock on the door, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Marco? Are you back yet?"

He rolled his eyes at the somewhat rhetorical question.

"Yeah, Star, I'm back." Suddenly, the door to his room was swung open and in came the princess. "Yay, my bestie is back! Whoa, are your hands okay? They look a little red." Star asked worriedly. Marco replied with a shrug.

"Okay then. So, are you ready to go- [Her eyes squint and seems to scowl] What is that?"

"What is what, Star?"

[Points at his bed] " _That_. What is _that_?" she says a little aggressively.

[Marco turns to his bed] "Well that's my bed, but I'm sure you're referring to what's on it. Those are glasses, Kelly's glasses to be exact."

"What are they doing in your room?"

"The day we went to Lava Lake Beach to see the Soulrise, she dropped them on the sand as soon as she left. I forgot to return them today, since I was _late_ for some reason, but I'll return them when she comes over for the Stump Day thing you're planning since I invited her."

Star's eye twitched, a smile spreading across her face. "G-Greaaaat. Lovely. Anyway, there's been a change of plans, Marco. It seems the signing has to start in less than thirty minutes since Pony Head is coming along and can't _possibly_ miss her show's new episodes." Star said while rolling her eyes.

[Marco gave her a look of disbelief] "But they are reruns..."

"That's what I _tried_ to tell her. Just get ready Marco. You smell like B.O (body odor) and it's stinging my nose. I'll meet you in the courtyard in about twenty minutes."

Marco checked his watch and saw that it was going to be 9:30 AM. ' _I can take a quick shower._ ' He walked over to his drawer, threw his staple set of clothes onto the bed, and began to undress. However, he stopped half way of pulling up his shirt and turned to Star.

"Star, do you mind?"

She blushed and gave him a quick nod. "R-Right, sorry."

Star walked out of the room and closed the door, leaning her back against it. ' _His B.O_ (body odor) _smells sweet to me for some reason… Weird._ [She frowned] _Kelly is trying to take my bestie away. I can feel it. That must be her mirror phone number on his arm, but it looks different… Eh, I'm probably just being paranoid. After all, Marco has to stay by_ _ **my**_ _side, since he is my squire, so nothing will happen._ [She smiles but it instantly vanishes] _Wait. Why am I happy that Kelly can't have Marco? Am I still- No. That can't be true. I'm just looking after my bestie. Yeah,... that's it._ [Smile returns] _Yeah, that's it._ '

She moved away from the door and headed towards the courtyard, not noticing the pair of green eyes that were looking at Marco's door from the corner of the intersecting hallways.

"So that's where the nerd is. Perfect."

* * *

 **A/N** : **Sorry for the long wait, but at least it's here lol. Like I've said, I'm going to try to follow the canon as best as I possible can, if it's relevant to the story. If not, then I'll do minor tweaks here and there. I'm going to have to re-watch all of season 3 again. Yay. I'm looking forward to getting triggered again lol. Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed it and I will be seeing you all in the next update. Peaceee! BTW, 1 kram = 1 ton**.


	4. Under the Moons

**A/N** **: I'm really sorry for the delay. A few things came up, like my dog biting my laptops charger off *sighs*. Anyway, it's finally here! I'm going to try to keep these between 3000 and 4000 to have the updates out faster, plus the college semester is around the corner so yeah, back to the old grind. I want to say thank you for having this story reach over 1600 views, the follows, and favorites! All of this is possible thanks to you people and also give me motivation to continue making these, so thank you. Well, onto the chapter!**

 **Lord Demon (guest)** **: I have no idea what you mean lol. Please elaborate?**

 **Golden Testament : Yeah, I just finished half of season 3 and I can confirm that I'm triggered lol.**

 **Guest** **: Thanks for the kind words! And I'll try to update more, hopefully school isn't too time consuming. *fingers crossed***

 **The Howling Behemoth** **: Glad you think so. (: I try to make it interesting lol.**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

Marco was _quick_.

He had input Cora's number into his mirror phone, took a shower, and got dressed in under five minutes. However, despite such a limited time, he did a very thorough job.

Marco was about to sit down on his bed to put on his shoes when he heard a couple knocks on his door, causing him to become a little uneasy since he knew that it couldn't be Star or the castle's staff. Both options wouldn't have knocked.

He made his way over to the door, quietly, and placed his ear against the door. He didn't hear anything so he opened the door slowly, catching a glimpse of orange hair as he did. Once the door was fully open, Marco couldn't help but frown at the person standing in front of him.

"How did you know where my room was Higgs?" he said indifferently.

The green eyed squire in front of him simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Good to see you too, nerd. I asked Sir Lavabo where your room was so I could speak with you about something. [Gestures behind him] Can I come in?"

' _Why would Sir Lavabo tell her?!... Oh, right. He doesn't know about the other squires._ '

Marco was a little hesitant at first. Who wouldn't be when the person who sabotaged his squire shopping and frowned upon the _very_ _idea_ of him being a squire? However, he couldn't see how she could do anything to hurt him. They were inside of the castle after all, and Marco was sure he could hold her off until the guards arrived, but he knew Higgs wouldn't risk that.

[Sighs] "Sure, but make it quick. I have somewhere to be."

She didn't say anything as she walked past him and stood in the middle of the room, not facing the royal squire. Marco closed the door behind him and leaned against it, facing the orange haired guest. "So, what did you need?"

She didn't respond, confusing Marco. "I said, what did you n-"

"Stop."

Marco was even more confused now. "W-What?"

Higgs turned to face him and noticed that she seemed to be fighting with several emotions. Anger? Fear? Sadness?... Guilt? All very confusing to the boy.

[Reaches inside the top of her tunic] "I said, drop out. Leave. Stop with this squire nonsense, we both know _you_ don't _deserve_ it."

Marco was about to tell her off on how wrong she was. How he had completed Hekapoo's Trial, helped defend the Kingdom of Mewni and the princess, and many other things he had done, but he stopped himself. What was the point? These people were too ignorant, hardheaded, and blind to whatever he did so he decided to be the better person.

[Sighs] "I'm never going to please you huh? But that's okay. We have a saying back on Earth that serves as good advice to even someone [points at her] like you: Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. (Dr. Seuss). So, you see Higgs, I don't _care_ what you say or think about me. I'm not going to _stop_ being a squire because I _have_ earned the right to be whatever it is that I want to be and I want to be a **knight**. A _real_ knight, like Sir Lavabo who takes pride in his work and asks for nothing in return."

Higgs scoffed at Marco and shook her head at him. "You want to be like the laundry guy? Wow, I knew you were a nerd but this is a new low even for you. [Laughs] Well, can't say I didn't try to save your life."

Marco raised an eyebrow at her, not believing that she was actually trying to _help_ him. She laughed at his reaction.

"I don't blame you for not believing a single word that I said. I get it. I was just trying to spare you the suffering that Baby Man was going to cause you 'if he ever saw/heard you saying that you wanted to be a knight again'. His words, not mine and when he gets started he doesn't stop till you stop moving. [Shrugs] But you can do whatever you want, nerd. In fact, I have an amazing idea."

"What's that?"

"The Mewni Squire Tournament starts in less than two weeks. We can all settle our differences there, since it will be set up in stages, and don't worry about facing us because it'll happen. You can be _sure_ of that. [Walks towards the door and opens it] Oh, one last thing. Killing is not against the rules of the tournament so _good luck_ and don't think about chickening out now. That'll only prove me right about you. Later, nerd." She turned around and headed out the door, closing it, but not before Marco noticed her drop a folded piece of paper from the same area she reached into her tunic earlier onto the floor of his room.

He walked up to the paper and reached down to grab it, curious as to why she had done that. He opened it and began to read it:

' _Meet me in the royal gardens at midnight. I have something I need to tell you. I know it's hard to trust me but you just have to. Don't be late, nerd._ '

Marco folded the paper back up and put it inside of his pocket. He sighed and shook his head, contemplating on what he should do. ' _Maybe I should go, but it could be a trap… But why would she drop this as if it were a secret? Hmm, this doesn't make any sense._ [Runs his hand through his hair] _I guess I'll go, but I better be prepared for anything. I have a feeling that what Higgs said wasn't a joke._ '

Marco tilted his wrist to get a good look at his watch. It was about to be 10 AM, causing him to sigh. The red hooded boy put on his shoes, headed out the door, closing and locking the door behind him, for safety reasons. ' _Let's get this over with._ ' he thought as he made his way to meet up with his blonde bestie at the castle's courtyard, still thinking about the message that Higgs had just dropped.

Literally.

* * *

Higgs was walking through the town below Castle Butterfly, greeting a couple of the citizens along the way. The orange haired squire that always helped them with things like carrying food, supplies or just saying 'hello' seemed fine to them, but little did they know that she was actually a ball of nerves.

' _I can't believe I did that! He could easily report what I did to Star or, even worse, the Queen! No, calm down Higgs. He isn't a snitch. He's too prideful to do that… Hopefully that nerd got the message, because that was_ _ **too**_ _risky. If the others found out-_ '

Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into the two people she really didn't want to see at the moment. She steeled herself and tried to act like her normal self.

"Hey, Higgs, what took you so long?" said the large man, followed by a grunt from the much _much_ older man.

"Sir Lavabo was asking me what detergent did I want him to use on my clothes. [Crosses her arms] You know how he likes to talk a lot."

The one known as Baby Man and Old Guy began to laugh, making Higgs cringe inside to the horrible noise.

[Stops laughing] "Did you see that shrimp that still believes he can be a knight?" joked Baby Man, followed by a wheezing laugh from Old Guy.

[Furrows her brow]"No. I didn't see him. He must be playing squire with the princess somewhere, but enough questions. Sir Stabby gave me an hour break, and I really must get back." She said bye to her fellow squires and turned the corner, waiting.

"She's still delusional as ever. She still thinks she can be a squire over us. If I didn't know any better, I might mistake her for the shrimp that hangs around the princess. [Higgs frowned] Sure, she's put in the hard work but, at the end of the day, she can't win against _men_." said Old Guy, causing his large-not so-bright friend to laugh.

Then they stopped abruptly. "Hopefully she remembers to stay quiet about our _little secret_ or _something_ might happen to the poor girl." said Old Guy coldly.

Higgs tensed up, a chill running down her spine, followed by dread. She instantly moved away from the corner, quietly, and headed towards the forge where she would meet Sir Stabby, hands balling up into fists.

' _I'll show them. They'll get what they deserve… It all depends on what the nerd decides to do..._ '

She broke into a sprint, passing a few towns folk who gave her an odd look. She wiped a tear that was beginning to form right as she arrived at the town's forge.

' _Stupid nerd._ '

* * *

Kelly, wearing her usual attire, was in her room, smiling from ear to ear. The bushy haired girl was currently sitting on her bed, which still had Marco's hoodie on it in full display, while holding a small velvet box on her lap. The text she had sent earlier to her best friend had also contributed to her happy attitude.

"Marco is going to love this!" exclaimed Kelly.

"Marco is going to love what?"

Kelly jumped off of her bed and landed on the ground from being startled. She looked towards where the voice had came from and saw her sister closing the door.

[Laughing] "Sorry to startle you sis' I was just checking up on you. [Looks at the box by Kelly] What's in the box?"

Kelly groaned and lifted herself back onto her bed, still holding the velvet box. "Cora! Can't you knock!? Uhh, nevermind. [Looks at box and smiles] It's a late birthday present for Marco."

Cora walked over and sat on her sister's bed. "Awww, how cute. [Kelly rolled her eyes] So, you have a thing for Marco, huh?" she said while wiggling her eyebrows.

"N-No. I just… look. Marco and I are dealing through some things right now, okay? So, a relationship is something that we both don't need right now, _especially_ now with the whole trial thing and him being Star's squire. We're better off just being best friends." she said with a said smile.

"Ohhhh, I see... You're scared." Cora said with a sly smile.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. You're scared. [Stands up and faces Kelly] You're scared that Marco likes Star so he won't even look your way. It's a shame really, because Marco is a great guy."

Kelly placed the box on the the bed and stood up, facing her sister.

[Frowning] "You think that I don't know he's a great guy? He isn't just a _great guy_ , he's an _amazing_ _guy,_ but I rather we stay best friends [' _for now'_ ]. It's not that I'm _scared_ , Cora. I just think that doing things this way is the best option at the moment. Besides… [sad smile] I'm probably not the right type of gal for him. [Cora was about to protest but was stopped by her younger sister] Let's just… stop talking about this, okay?"

Cora didn't want to stop, but she saw that it was a touchy subject for her little sister so she decided to drop it, _for now_. She walked over to Kelly and gave her a comforting hug.

"Alright, if that's what you want, but do know this: Fear is only as deep as the mind allows. [Chuckles] Mom would always tell me when she saw me hesitate with something. [Pulls away, now facing Kelly] So, don't overthink things okay?"

Kelly gave her sister a smile and nodded. Suddenly, a portal opened up in the room alerting the sisters, but relaxed when they saw their mother step out of said portal.

"Whoa, that was something.[Turns to her daughters] Oh, hi girls, is everything alright?" asked Liliana.

"Yeah, everything is alright, mom." said Kelly.

Liliana walked over to her two daughters and smiled. "Good, because I want to run an idea by you two before I take it to the council. [Both of the girls looked at her curiously] How do you girls feel about Marco?" she said with grin.

* * *

Marco stepped through the portal, landing on his bed. The events that had just transpired at the Pigeon Kingdom had increased his fatigue since he didn't even have time to rest earlier. Star had told Marco that she had to go do princess stuff with her mom so he could take the rest of the day off, which was music to the tired boy's ears.

He closed his eyes and was out like a light, fatigue finally winning over the boy.

Marco abruptly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times trying to get the foggy aesthetic and sleep out of his eyes, now noticing that it was dark in his room. The only light source was the moons' light coming through the window of his room.

The red hooded boy stretched, popping a few of his stiff joints, and sat up. He lifted his hand groggily to look at the time on his watch, pressing a button in order to illuminate and read the time.

It read 11:42 PM, causing him to groan.

' _How long was I asleep? Doesn't matter, I should go shower then go back to sleep… wait. I feel like I'm forgetting something._ ' Marco patted his pants pockets and noticed that there was something else besides his mirror phone, and it couldn't be his scissors since they were next to his pillow and the item was small. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the items. A little piece of paper was stuck to the phone's case, which he unstuck. Marco opened it and, after quickly reading it, mentally slapped himself.

' _Higgs, right. She wanted to tell me something. I wonder what it is… guess I better head over there, but first_ [looks down at himself] _I should get out of this hoodie, it's too noticeable_.'

Marco unzipped his hoodie and placed it on his bed. He grabbed his dimensional scissors and placed them in his pocket, now heading towards the door. The boy opened the door, sticking his head out to check if the coast was clear, and stepped out once he knew it was safe to do so. He sighed, closed his door quietly, and headed down the long and dark hall.

* * *

It didn't take Marco long to reach the royal gardens, roughly ten minutes since he was taking his time. He was currently sitting on a bench that was surrounded by shrubbery. A bench that he had seen Eclipsa sitting on a few times in his stay in Mewni, with a chain clasped around her foot. ' _What a strange lady... but I don't think she is evil_.' The place itself was rather pretty, though, since the shrubs that surrounded it had beautiful roses of many colors such as blue, violet, pink, red and probably many more color variations but this was all he could see. It was somewhat secluded too, making it a perfect spot to come and talk to someone in private. For some reason, he knew this is where Higgs wanted to meet.

Marco looked up to the sky and couldn't help but smile at the scene. The night sky in Mewni was more beautiful than it was back on Earth. The stars were brighter and seemed to twinkle constantly. The fact that this dimension had two moons, as well as other noticeable celestial objects, only made the sky seem more beautiful, in a fantasy type of way.

However, when he stared at the smaller moon, something felt off. The smaller of the two celestial objects suddenly flashed red for an instant, causing Marco to clutch his head from the sharp pain it caused. He looked back up and everything seemed normal. ' _That… was weird._ ' he thought.

The faint sounds of footsteps and moving shrubbery snapped him out of his thoughts, now on full alert, but relaxed when the celestial lights from the sky allowed him to see part of the other individual who was in the garden with him.

"I'm guessing you didn't call me out here for a romantic picnic."

A figure, covered in a dark cloak, sat down next to Marco. The individual pulled down their cloaks hood, revealing themselves to be none other than Toffee… just kidding, it was Higgs. She combed-patted her hair down a little with her hands, since it a had a little static due to the hood. The orange haired squire sighed and turned to face Marco. He did the same.

"This isn't a joke, _nerd_ … [Marco raised an eyebrow] Sorry, I meant Marco... Whatever I tell you _**must**_ stay between _us only_ , no matter what. Okay, I'm just going to cut the chase since I don't have much time before someone notices I'm gone from the barracks. [Inhales and exhales deeply] Marco, I need your help."

[Scoffs] "If you're asking _me_ for help then it must be serious… What is it?"

"I wouldn't be asking or needing your help if it weren't, nerd. [Marco rolled his eyes] Do you remember what I told you about the squire tournament? [He nods] I need your help in taking down Baby Man and Old Guy."

Marco gave her a curious look, somewhat confused. "Why would you want to take them down? Aren't they your buddies or something, at least from what I gathered when we were all at Quest Buy."

Higgs gritted her teeth and gave him an angry-rage-filled look, surprising Marco. " _We are not buddies._ "

"Okay, Okay, relax. So, what's the deal Higgs? Why do you want them out so badly"

"Are you in or not?"

"Tell me the reason why you want them out and I'll consider it."

"I don't have to tell _you_ anything."

Marco shook his head and scoffed. "Well then, goodnight Higgs." He stood up from the bench, but sat back down when he felt Higgs' hand wrap around his wrist. He turned to face her and noticed that she was facing down towards the floor, shadows masking her freckled face.

"Higgs... what happened?" he asked with genuine concern.

The garden went quiet.

After a few seconds, Higgs shifted her body to face Marco but still had her head facing down. Marco was about to speak again but was stopped when he heard a light sob. Worried, he was going to put a hand on her shoulder but saw her recoil when his hand was hovering over it, making him retract it.

"I **hate**... being this weak… [shakes her head] I'm sorry, but I can't tell you the reason… I don't want to thi- [exhales] Are you going to help me, or not?" she finally managed to get out.

Marco, not fully knowing what the heck was going on, wanted to help. Yes. He _still_ wanted to _help_ because that was the type of person he was, sadly, but he wasn't gullible either. He had learned his lesson, several times.

"Explain your plan to me, Higgs." he said in a calm tone.

[Takes a few deep breaths] "A-All I want from you is to _promise me_ that you will take out Baby Man. He'll find a way to get matched up with you, so don't overthink that to much right now. As for… [takes another deep breath] Old Guy, I'm sure I'll match up with him. I _know_ I will. I'm not worried about the other competitors but you, on the other hand, should practice hand-to-hand combat. This thing won't be like babysitting a princess so be prepared. I'll explain more about the rules and such later, if you agree."

Marco was about to scoff at her doubting his abilities, but stopped himself from doing so. She had just told him to be prepared, making it seem like she was _concerned_ about him, something the red hooded boy was sure he would never see or expect from his fellow orange hair squire.

"So you're planning on us meeting each other in the final, right? [she nodded slightly still facing the ground] Okay, umm, what happens if we meet before we take down dumb and dumber?"

"The wh-I'm not even going to ask. You don't have to worry about that, nerd. Competitors of the same age group can't face against each other, putting us in a disadvantage against other more _experienced_ squires, but I'm still not worried. I'm confident in my abilities. Speaking of which, I think if I want this plan to work out I'll need to spar with you to toughen you up. [Lifts her head slightly to look at Marco, but still not enough to see her face-stupid shadows!] No offense, nerd, but you look very… flimsy."

Marco couldn't help but chortle at her comment. Sure, he knew he looked weak with due to his slender build, but that was the _point_. No one would expect much out of him, giving him an arsenal of ways to catch his opponent(s) off guard. He was going to deny her suggestion, but a myriad amount of thoughts suddenly popped into his head:

' _What could those two have done to her to make her seek out_ _ **my**_ _help_?

 _Is she hurt?_

 _Why won't she face me?_

 _Why couldn't she have told me this in my room, during the day?_

 _What… What if they try to do whatever it is that they did to her again? And..._

 _And is she safe from it?'_

"Hey… _Hey_ , you okay?"

Marco was snapped out of his thoughts and took in a deep breath. ' _I better keep a close eye on her, and these sparring matches are a good way of doing so. I better play along and act like I'm a total newbie._ ' He looked over at Higgs, who was _slightly_ looking at him.

"Alright, I'm fine with that, but where would we even spar?'

"We can spar here for less than an hour, to be safe. There's plenty of room and no one comes here at night… Don't ask how I know. Plus, we can be a little loud thanks to the surrounding shrubbery."

Marco thanked the stars above that Higgs wasn't looking at his face when she said that, because his cheeks were a little red. ' _I don't think she's aware of how she worded that._ '

[Ahem] "Okay, so I'm guessing we can't spar during the day [She nods] and we still have to act like bitter rivals around others. [She nods again, causing him to sigh] Alright, fair enough."

"I know this isn't fair to you, nerd, but it must be done this way to avoid suspicions."

"No no, it's fine. Don't worry, I'm used to a bit of bullying by now. However, I can't agree to help you until you look me in the eyes. I can't make the deal unless you do."

Higgs tensed up at his words. She mumbled something, to low for him to hear, and began to slowly lift her head. Once she was facing him, looking him in the eyes, Marco frowned at what he saw. Now understanding that _this_ was **serious** , and not some elaborate way for her to somehow hurt him.

Marco's eyes began to form a couple yellow specks, expression serious. Thanks to the shadows in the garden, Higgs saw _something_ in his eyes but didn't think much of it, since it could have been her eyes playing tricks on her.

"Alright, Higgs, I'm in."

* * *

Marco, now back from his secret meeting with Higgs stood in the middle of his room, eyes closed. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, almost fully golden. He looked over to his bed and walked over to it, picking up his dimensional scissors. He walked back to the middle of the room and sliced through space with them. The swirls that the portal made were calming, in a way.

Marco sighed and stepped through the dimensional portal, landing in a clearing surrounded by trees and other plant life. He heard movement from behind him so he turned around.

A small rabbit jumped out of a bush, wiggling its nose at him, then jumped back into the shadows of the night.

He sighed. ' _I just need a place to meditate and I find this place soothing… I won't be long_.'

Marco took of his shirt and sat down on the floor, letting the cool air hit his tired-slightly sweaty-body. The brown haired boy crossed his legs, interlaced his fingers, and closed his eyes. In a matter of seconds, he was completely still, now in a complete meditative state.

The moon above began to flicker red, then it just…

Stopped.

Soon after, Marco opened his eyes, now back to their original brownish color, and looked up at the sky. The familiar night sky brought a smile to his face, recognizing a few constellations here and there. He took his shirt from the ground and stood up. The boy looked down at his body, noticing all the scars he had accumulated ever since he met Star that fateful day a little over a year ago.

Marco poked one of the scars and scoffed.

' _The things I did for love…_ '

He shook his head and opened a portal.

' _Hopefully I don't add to the collection_.' he thought with a smile as he walked through the swirling dimensional gate.

The white moon above suddenly turned a deep crimson red but, as fast as it appeared, vanished and returned to its bleached self.

* * *

 **A/N** : **This chapter was about 4500 words, kind of breaking what I said earlier but I'm sure you'll want mind. Thanks again for all the support! Oh, and can any of you guess what happened to Higgs and where Marco was towards the end of this chapter? 0.o**

P.S **: My other story "Not What It Seems" chapters will also be around this length, if not shorter. It'll be more consistent that way.**


	5. Trouble

**A/N** **: Sorry for the long update! Life seems to not want me to update sooner with all these misfortunes, such as someone cutting my internet cables in my apartment… yea. Anyways, let's get to what you are all waiting for! Hopefully lol. Here's the new chapter, enjoy.**

 **OmegaDelta** **: I like how you try to guess how I think lol. The blood moon is important, I'll say that and ads for the trials… well, you'll have to wait and see lol. Also, thanks for the kind words!**

 **Mibbyluv113** **: Umm the description of the story says Kelco so I don't know what to tell you. Also,** _ **Coco**_ **and characters from that will not appear on this story so don't hold your breath. I use [ ] to show actions, kind of like a script, but it's all experimental still but I seem to like it so I'll keep it. I will show other characters from the** _ **actual**_ **show in due time, to develop them more, even if a little, unlike the show that did a poor job in doing so for some of them. It's still a good show though! Another thing, keep criticism professional.**

 **fartedandcraped** **: Haha love your name! Thanks for the kind words!**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

Marco was laying on the cold hard ground, his entire body sore and in pain. He tried to get up but realized his body wouldn't move, probably too exhausted to move.

"You're getting better, but you're still holding back, Marco. I've told you to forget about what _happened_ already."

Marco tilted his head towards the voice and released an exhausted sigh. He really shouldn't hold back, especially not against _this_ person but he couldn't help it. Not after what he did _last time_.

The brown haired boy managed to sit up, ignoring his body's protests to do so. "M-Maybe w-we should rest? We've been going at it for _hours_ , Kells, and you're kind of rough on me. My body can only take so much." he joked.

Kelly chuckled as she stood up from beside Marco, helping him stand up much to his displeasure. "Alright, we can stop for today, dork. [Flicks his nose] Now pay up, you know the drill." She said with a smile, causing Marco to smile back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a small cone like thing wrapped in tin foil. Kelly's eyes lit up, snatching it out of Marco's hand.

"Wow, maybe it wasn't a good idea to introduce you to chocolate…" Kelly, who had devoured the small chocolate in a flash without the tin foil, looked at him with fake shock. "W-What? B-But chocolate is _so **good**_." she said with a blissful sigh, to which Marco simply rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Anyways [dusts himself off] You and your sister are scary strong. We've been training for about a week now and I can't seem to beat you two. I'm scared to see what your mom can do…"

Kelly patted him on the shoulder, with a grin on her face. "Thanks for the compliments Marco, but you're not too bad yourself, especially since I can tell you're _still_ holding back. How much? I don't know, but I can tell you aren't putting your one hundred percent into this which worries me since the second part of our trials is coming up." the bushy haired girl said with a worried look.

Marco couldn't help but notice when she said 'our trials'. ' _I thought I was just a support to help her in her trials… Ehh, I'm probably overthinking it._ ' His mirror phone began to vibrate in his pocket, signaling him that it was time for him to go and, for some reason, he didn't want to leave just yet.

But he had to.

[Sighs] "Sorry, Kells, but I have to go." She gave him an understanding nod, trying her best to hide her disappointment. The two friends hugged, something they started doing a few days ago which at first was embarrassing but seemed okay, now. She flicked his nose, while they were still hugging, earning a smile from him. "Take care of yourself, Marco. I'll see you in about a week, after I come back from what my mom calls a 'family bonding trip' so don't forget to text me, okay? [Playfully punches his arm] I'll get bored otherwise."

Marco gave her a smile and nodded. "Sure thing, and you be careful too." Kelly replied with a nod, the two separating from each other.

Marco took out his scissors and opened a portal leading back to his room. He looked back and gave Kelly one last wave goodbye before walking through the swirling gate and into his room. The made his way over to his bed and sat on it, thinking of things he had done.

' _I've been training for a whole week with Kelly and her family, but they never told me why._ _Lily just sprung it on me when I went to go see Kelly the day after I met Higgs in the garden and I agreed, since I had nothing better to do. Star was busy with her princess duties and dates with Tom. She must feel tired all the time… but what would I know. I haven't seen Star since the whole Rich Pigeon thing and hadn't heard from her except for a letter that was on my desk a few nights ago._ '

It read:

' _Heyyyy Bestie! How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't been hanging out with you, but I'm busy with the whole 'princess' thing and Tom isn't helping. He just wants to hang out and have fun, never talk about serious stuff like how I'm doing with my princess stuff, if I'm getting enough sleep with all these meetings I go around with my mom, or how I'm coping with the whole Eclipsa thing. *Sigh* You would ask those things… Anyway, I have to go soon. There's a meeting going on about a treaty between the Spiderbite Kingdom and the Waterfolk Kingdom regarding fish? Yeah, I don't even know. Well, hope my squire will continue to be fine without me for a few more days, and stay out of trouble, okay? Wait for me to get back so we can get into trouble together! For realsies though, stay safe Marco. Oh, and another thing, stay away from Kelly. You'll thank me later. Byeee!_

 _Your only bestie, Star Butterfly._

 _P.S: My mirror phone got taken away by my mom. ):_ '

Marco didn't understand why Star would say that about Kelly but, honestly, he didn't care at the moment. He didn't see a logical reason why he had to stay away from Kelly. After all the great times they've had in the last week, besides training, like going to Pandora to ride around through the forest-jungle on Yhorm (he was found near the village looking for something and when he saw Marco he went berserk. Long story short, they were now friends, kind of like he was with Nachos.) or simply swimming with Kelly and Cora down at the lake of the village.

With his shirt on of course, much to Lily's disapproval for some reason.

It was the most fun he has had since his return to Mewni or probably, _don't tell Star_ , ever! It was great that he had friends outside of Star and Tom here. Heck, he even considered Sir. Lavabo as a friend, the two becoming more and more acquainted as they worked down at the wash. Marco would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy fighting enchanted clothes to the death in the morning. It was his morning workout, after all. as for Higgs... well, he considered her a minor friend? Is that even a thing?

He inspected his watch, and smiled. It was a watch that Kelly had given to him as a 'late birthday present'. At first, he didn't want to accept it since it looked and felt _expensive_. I mean, it was made of a titanium-looking-magic-infused-alloy that could glow in the dark! It could also steadily heal him from any damage taken that wasn't fatal, measure someone's heartbeat, be used as a shield (cool!) and much more, according to the manual that the item came with. His initials were engraved on the frame of the magical object, making the brown eyed boy smile even more when he saw it.

Of course, Kelly wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to returning it so Marco thanked her by giving her some chocolate he had found in his duffel bag (it was safe to eat, he checked) and kept it. However, Marco did not expect Kelly to become a chocoholic, but it brought a smile to his face and a warm feeling in his heart when he saw how happy she looked when she ate the tasty treat. He did make her promise to only eat one piece a day, though, that he personally would provide to avoid any health issues (he was the _safe kid_ after all), to which she accepted immediately.

He brought his wrist up to his face to check the time, it read 6 PM. ' _I really shouldn't be seeing Kelly so late_ (8 PM in Pandora due to time difference) _to train. Her traditions are strict after all… but nothing has happened so far so it should be okay. Plus, she's the one that suggested the time because it was more relaxing at night to train. That part is certainly true, since the forest/jungle was_ _ **a lot**_ _cooler._ ' Marco continued to think about his time with Kelly throughout the week that had just passed causing him to roll his eyes, a smile plastered on his face.

* * *

*Flashback: a week ago in Pandora*

"Come on, Marco! You can do better than that!" yelled Kelly. She jumped and threw an overhead-downwards kick at Marco, who barely managed to roll out of the way. He twisted his body, using his arms to propel himself off the ground, and landed on his trademark karate stance. ' _She's really into this! Darn, I wanted to go easy but I guess I'll have to try somewhat._ ' he quickly thought.

Marco took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and exhaled. He felt arms wrap around his waist and then couldn't feel the ground below him. Right before Kelly could suplex him against the ground, he jerked his body in such a way that it loosened her grip, causing the impact to lose most of its power. Once again, Marco used his arms to propel his entire body off the ground to face Kelly.

The boy simply rubbed his neck, popping the joint in the process. "Well that's going to be sore tomorrow." Kelly smirked. "That's what you get for holding back you dork! Now come on me!" exclaimed the bushy haired girl as she got into her fighting stance.

Marco was a little embarrassed at what Kelly had just told him to do. ' _Come on m- Do these girls not know how to word things properly?_ ' He shook the dirty implication from his mind and re-readied himself. Kelly, was trying so he should show her some respect by doing the same. Marco untensed his body, almost as if he was meditating, completely relaxed. The tanned girl was not amused, thinking that he was still holding back, so she rushed him.

Big mistake.

As soon as she got a foot near him, Marco grabbed her raised fist and pointed it outwards. He closed the gap between them and placed his free hand on her side. She was in the air for less than a second before her body was twisted and, with the help of his body's momentum, slammed into the ground. She tried to escape but soon realized that both her arms were being held-pinned above her head by one of his hands while his body hovered over her, the other hand being on her exposed slender, slightly toned and sweaty, stomach (thanks to the thrashing that had occurred).

She looked up into his eyes and couldn't help but feel uneasy. His eyes were staring into hers, unblinking, as a golden liquid danced around both of the eyes irises. She gulped, trying to compose herself. "U-Uh, M-arco? C-Can you get off of me?"

He didn't reply and continued to stare into her eyes, the golden eyes now beginning to make her feel as if she was in a trance. Kelly was beginning to lessen her struggling the more she continued to look into his eyes. Her eyes slowly closing.

"P-Pl..ease" she managed to whisper out as she slowly exhaled.

Marco snapped out of whatever he was doing and looked down at Kelly's drowsy form. He cursed under his breath and got off of her. The brown haired boy picked her body off the ground, taking her over to their supplies, and bent down to get a bottle of his cold water, Kelly still in his arms. He splashed some of the cold water on the girl's face, causing her eyes to snap open in shock due to the sudden coldness.

Marco placed her down on the ground, feeling guilty for what he had done to his friend. "W-What h-happened?" asked Kelly with a surprised look. Marco sighed and began to explain to her what had happened, not missing a single detail.

At the end of it, Kelly gave Marco a confused look, making him fear the worst. ' _Stupid! Stupid! Why would you-_ ' his thoughts were interrupted by the girl's laughter. He looked at her, now confused, which made the girl laugh even more.

[Tries to stop laughing] "O-Oh **w-wow**. [Chuckles] So that's what happens when you get serious?.. Yeah, you should totally do the same thing to Cora! It'll scare the crap out of her!"

"Y-You're not scared?" he asked, still confused.

"Oh no, I was _terrified_ hahaha but I trust you so it's okay. Don't worry about it." She gave him a big infectious smile, which he returned.

"But seriously, you came on me a bit too hard you dork." she said with a smile.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Marco was blushing slightly from the memory and shook his head to try to regain his moral focus. ' _I really should correct Kelly with some of her phrasing_.' He sat up from his bed, passing a chair that had his iconin red hoodie draped over the armrest.

The lights from the restroom were turned on, blinding Marco for a few seconds. Once his vision returned he came face to face with his reflection on the mirror. For some reason, he took off his t-shirt slowly, upper body now exposed, and frowned.

The scars were still there.

A constant reminder of his trauma and… weaknesses. Marco decided to take a shower, now feeling extremely dirty, closing the door before he did so.

* * *

The princess' squire was currently in the castle's kitchen, getting a bite to eat since he had gotten hungry after his soothing shower. The chefs knew Marco very well, because of his constant trips to make his (queue music) Super Awesome Nachos! However, he decided to go with a regular sandwich for a late night snack made out of some Mewni-animal meat that tastes like chicken, weird, but it was good so he wasn't complaining.

He exited the kitchen, receiving and giving hello's to the staff, and made his way towards the Butterfly Royal Gardens.

Once there, he sat on the same bench he had met Higgs in secret many nights ago. His thoughts began to go to his time with Higgs and her so called 'training'.

* * *

*Flashback*

Higgs was throwing jab after jab at Marco, who was failing at blocking most of them. She sidestepped into his core-space and jabbed him in the stomach with so much force it lifted him off the ground a couple inches, back against the cold hard ground of the garden. Even with the the moonlight shining down on them, surrounded by shadows, he could clearly see disappointment written all over her face.

Higgs was standing over Marco, with a frown on her face. He stood up, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Sorry." One of Higgs' eyes twitched slightly after the words left his mouth. "Sorry? _Sorry?!_ Marco we've been practicing for about a week now and you can't land a hit on me? [Looks at him skeptically] How are you still alive hanging around the princess if you're this weak?" she said with mixed emotions.

' _Wow, her insults have toned down somewhat. That's good... The strategy has worked for a few days but I may need to stop being her personal training dummy or else I might take unnecessary damage from her. Her hits aren't near Kelly's level but they still sting and will bruise. I really don't want to explain to Kelly, or Star when I see her, why I have so many bruises._ '

Marco looked at Higgs and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, Higgs. I'll try harder next time." She rolled her eyes at his comment and sighed. "Whatever, nerd, we'll stop here since I don't want to hurt you too much. ' _Or my hands! What is he made of?! It's like I'm hitting a tree sometimes!_ ' We'll continue this tomorrow." She turned around from him and was about to begin heading out of the garden when she was stopped by Marco's hand.

[Looks over her shoulder] "May I help you, nerd?"

"Uhh, well, I just wanted to say be careful and to put some ice on your knuckles, they seem a little red." Marco reaches into his pocket and pulls out something, placing into her hand. Higgs opens her hand, seeing the object, and gives Marco a confused look. "What's is this?"

[Clears throat] "It's a necklace... It's something you give to a friend."

Higgs scoffed and was about to say something but stopped herself. "Thanks for the gift. [Places it into her skirts pocket] We'll meet tomorrow at the same time, alright? See ya, nerd." She left the little enclosure, silently, leaving him all alone under the moonlight.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Marco exhaled, his breath visible in front of him. Mewni's form of Winter was just around the corner, if not already here. The moons above caught his eye, once again having a strange feeling when he looked at them.

The sounds of brush moving caught his attention, knowing it wasn't Higgs since she doesn't make that much noise when coming and it wasn't time yet. He was about to stand up from the bench, but stopped when he saw a purple Victorian-era dress from the corner of his eye.

Out of the shadows stepped out none other than Eclipsa, Queen of Darkness!

"Oh, if it isn't my niece's little friend. What are you doing here so late?" Marco didn't answer her and, instead, observed her cautiously. She giggled at his reaction and pointed at the empty space on the bench next to him. "May, I sit down?"

Marco gave her a simple nod.

She sat down next to him and minutes rolled by in silence as nothing was said. Marco did not enjoy the awkward silence so he decided to make small talk. The Queen of Darkness seemed safe enough, but was still a stranger to him. "U-Uhh, so… how have you been?" he asked nervously.

[Giggles] "Well, besides being a prisoner, I'd say rather well. How about you?"

Marco was not expecting that kind of response, his defenses lowering.

"I'm doing fine, too… You know, you don't seem evil to me."

Eclipsa smiled at his comment, relaxing into her seat while looking up at the night sky. "I'm glad you think so. Such a polite boy you are. I can see why my niece likes you so much." Marco was taken back by her comment, which she noticed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The day you came back to Mewni, Star came to me for advice on what to do with you. She was not happy with you suddenly dropping into her life, but I have a feeling she did the same to you. She even ate bird food… Anyways, I asked her if she wanted you to stay but she was conflicted on an answer. I assume she wants you here since you're still at the castle. (Giggles) How's the squire thing going by the way?"

Marco decided to leave the topic of Star alone, for now. "It's going okay, Star is a little weird when calling me her squire but-"

"Wait? You're Star's squire? I thought you were Sir Lavabo's squire?" she said with a concerned look, confusing Marco.

"Uhh, I'm both? Is there a problem with that?"

"Well… yes. You see, a princess can only make someone her squire if she intends to be… betrothed to that individual. No princess has ever done this, though, because the squire must be approved by both sides of her family, which has never happened before… I wonder if Star knew of this." she said with a smile.

Marco was shocked. He had no idea what to do or say after hearing that! Did Star know about this?! Why hadn't she told him!?... Wait.

Her parents don't know that he's Star's squire. No one knows except a select few.

"I-Is there some kind of ceremony to that?"

"Certainly. To make it official that you are Star's squire, she must go to her parents and declare it so, while offering a fresh warnicorn horn to show she is serious. Then, her parents would decide if the squire is worthy and, if he is, they will put out word to the family members on the matter. This… This next part is a little gruesome. You'll have to fight the King in a bare fist fight until one of you submits, which the squire must win. It shows that the squire will be able to protect the princess or something. I personally see it as barbaric. Last, but not least, you'll have to swear your completely loyalty to her- it's kind of marriage vows, now that I think about it."

The word shocked did not do justice to how Marco looked right now, especially since he had done something similar to vows with Star when she made him her squire. Eclipsa noticed his distress and patted him on the head. "Marco, do you have feelings for Star?"

There it was, the question he had been pushing aside since the Lava Lake Incident. ' _Do I have feelings for Star? I mean, I do. She's one of my best friends, but… recently… I don't seem to get the butterfly_ (Ha Jokes!) _feeling in my stomach anymore when I think about her... I still care about her though…_ '

Marco turned his head to look at Eclipsa, looking into her eyes, and sighed. "I-I don't know. I mean, I care about Star, **a lot** , and I would be lying if I said that I didn't have feelings for her… But, those feelings aren't as strong as they used to be. The feeling of wanting to be more than friends with Star changed after Lava Lake Beach and when I talked to-"

"A girl?"

Marco squinted at Eclipsa. "Y-Yes. Her name is... Kelly, and also happens to be friends with Star. She… She's helped me feel at home since that day at the beach and I have been hanging out with her a lot recently."

Eclipsa nodded as she heard the boy's words, a smile on her face, now understanding what was going on. "I see. Well, I'm going to be truthful and say that I'm a little disappointed that my niece is with that Lucitor boy, no offense, over you. I honestly can't see them having a life together, but to each their own... I like you, Marco Diaz. You've been nothing short of an extraordinary friend to Star [looks at his chest and slightly frowns] even if she doesn't appreciate it as much as she should. [Chuckles] When a door closes another one opens, I always say." she said with a smile, which Marco returned.

"You kind of remind me of my mother, always so optimistic. [She laughs] What?"

"Oh nothing, I just found it adorable. [Smiles] For what it's worth, Marco, you are already an amazing knight in my eyes and have my full support in whatever you decide to do." She stood up from the bench and made her way over to where she had came in from, turning to face the hoodie-less boy.

"Well, it was truly a pleasure speaking to you, Marco, but I must get going before the guards notice I'm gone. [Chuckles] You're better than those ruffians anyhow. Oh, before I forget, I'll let you know something that I've told Star: All knowledge is good knowledge. [Marco tosses her an extra piece of chocolate causing her to smile] You, Marco Diaz, have made a friend out of me… So consider this a gift." She walked back to Marco and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. The boy felt his cheek sting for a split second and then it was gone. Before he could fully register what had happened and ask her what that was about, she was gone.

Odd.

Marco leaned back into the bench, smiling up into the sky. ' _It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders._ ' Suddenly, an intense pain shot through his heart, paralyzing him in place, still looking up at the sky. He couldn't even scream due to the immense pain, completely at the mercy of whatever was assaulting him. His eyes widened with fear at we he was seeing. The smaller of the two moons was blood red, almost liquid, blinking ominously over him.

A red light suddenly shone on him, the pain rapidly fading under its sinister, yet beautiful, glow. In a matter of seconds, the pain was gone.

The light slowly fading away.

Marco's eyes shot open and he clutched at his heart. His heavy painting visible in the cold nights air. He looked around and saw that he was alone, sitting on the bench. ' _What the hell was that!?_ _Was it a dream?..._ '

He calmed himself, finally breathing properly, and looked down at his watch. A sudden feeling of dread ran throughout the boy's body. It was 12:32 PM.

Higgs was late.

Marco stood up from the bench, staggering a bit, and began to walk out of the garden.

* * *

He was at the entrance, surveying the area. It didn't take him long to find a knife with a note planted into one of the gate's pillars. The boy walked up to it, taking the knife out and reading the note.

The bloody words ' _We have always known_ ' was written shakily on the paper. He looked further down the note and saw the words ' _help me_ ' in the same style. Marco crumpled the note in his hand and slowly brought his watch up to his face. He tapped a few inputs into it, now displaying a screen with a blinking red dot.

He closed his eyes.

The words ' _All knowledge is good knowledge_ ' repeated themselves in his head over and over. He smiled, pain evident in his expression, slowly opened his eyes to reveal a solid gold hue in them.

' _I'm sorry, Star, but it seems that I might get into some trouble._ '

The pain from whatever had occurred to him in the garden was gone so he sprinted out of the garden's gates, the smile on his face slowly increasing.

The garden was now empty. A small wrapper danced around in the wind and landed on the bench Marco had sat prior to his departure. With closer inspection, it was obvious what it was.

A chocolate wrapper.

The smaller moon overlooking all of Mewni was crimson red. Almost as if it were…

… leaking blood.

* * *

 **A/N** : **Hope you all enjoyed! And wow this story has reached over 2500 views! Thanks guys and gals! I'll continue to try to push these out as soon as I can, but it's going to be harder with college starting so hang in there! Also, the next chapter out from me will be for my other story (Sorry) but it needs attention too lol. Anyways, thanks again for everything! See ya'll next time! Peaceeee!**


	6. Return

**A/N** : **Sorry for the delay in chapters, but school is well school so yeah lol. But on a serious note, this chapter is pushing the T rating and going a little over to M for reasons you all will see shortly so you've been warned. I didn't enjoy writing the piece that shows it, but it's meant to show a side that isn't really shown with the character involved, like helplessness. I could have done it differently but this seems somewhat historically accurate to what went on during the medieval era in Europe, sadly. The chapter gets brighter though so that's a plus. Anyways, without further delay, here's the chapter!**

 **OmegaDelta** **: You'll find out later on, maybe sooner than later. (;**

 **fartedandcraped** **: Lol can't get enough of your name! Thanks for the kind words and I plan to develop them more, even if just a little. You're right about the development of characters in stories. And yeah OmegaDelta be trying to expose my secrets lol.**

 **fnafan8008** **: You'll see if you're right or not in this chapter lol. Thanks for the kind words!**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

She wanted to die.

She deserved this.

The cold ground did little to soothe her aching body. She was semi-conscious of what was happening around her, but wished that she couldn't. The hour prior being the worst thing she had ever experienced.

She felt dirty.

Violated.

The poor girl curled into herself when she heard sets of footstep moving around her and wanted to vanish.

Disappear.

"So, what do we do with her?" A slurred voice said.

"Haha want to play with her some more? We still have time before the others get back." A slurred-scruffy voice replied, followed by a chuckle.

"We?! You're the one who did that to the poor girl! _This_ [gestures to the girl] was not part of the plan you _idiot_! We weren't paid to do this! If we're caught, we'll be executed!"

"Oh relax. All we have to do is use her as bait for the other kid and make them disappear after, right? Baby Man and Old Guy told us to make them disappear due to an 'accident' so I'd say *hiccup* this counts." The younger person that he was talking to looked at him with absolute disgust, shaking his head. "I want no part in this. What you have done is on _you_ , so prepare to reap what you sow, old man." The younger individual gave him one last look of disgust before he left the small, poorly lit, room. His footsteps, along with the sounds of crunching leaves, fading into the distance.

The older looking man was alone in the room with the visibly shaking girl, who was desperately trying to get away from him, causing him to smirk.

[Walking towards her] "And where do you think you're going little lady? We still have some unfinished business to get back to." he said with a sinister smile. He placed himself on top of her squirming form, chuckling as the girl screamed for help, holding her arms over her head. [Smirks] "Marco? The laundry boy? Is he your boyfriend or something? Hahaha I wonder what he is going to think when he realizes that his girl is no longer _pure_. [Chuckles] Now let's continue where we left off before we were rudely interrupted." He began to slide his hands up her skirt, causing her to scream even more for the only person she recently considered a friend.

The only person that seemed to care about her well being.

"Marco! **Please**! [Slides her undergarments down her legs] Please Marco! Help me!" Her desperate cries increased as the man continued his task. He spread her legs with his knee and positioned himself, he too was bare from the waist down.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be gentle." He whispered into her ear before re-positioning himself between the girl's legs.

"Marco! Help me! NO! Please stop! Marco!" Her last cry for help seemed to shake the small wooden room, followed by an intense aura. The man stopped before he could deflower the poor girl, slightly annoyed, and stood up from the shaking form below him. Suddenly, the door to the 'shack' was kicked down, causing the man to jump and the girl to cower, using her hands to hide her face.

The girl caught sight of the figure standing in the doorway through spaces between her fingers and her eyes went wide, tears suddenly running down her bruised face. She couldn't see who it was, but **knew** who it was, somehow.

The man pulled a dagger out of his vest and placed himself between the intruder and the girl. "Who the hell do you think *hiccup* you are!" he yelled at the figure, as it slowly approached him. Due to the poorly lit room, all that was visible on the figure was a pair of cold yellow eyes. The man felt increasingly uneasy as the figure approached him since the aura coming off, what he assumed to be a male due to outline of the figure, him was that of pure killing intent.

The intensity that the waves of the sinister aura rolled off of him was blood curdling, causing the man's handle on the dagger to tremble.

The figure continued to walk towards him so he prepared himself for a fight but was left dumbfounded when he walked past him, now going towards the girl who was still crying on the ground. "Higgs" the figure said with such sadness that she wept even harder. Suddenly, the air in the shack grew tremendously cold. The figure slowly turned towards the man, causing said man to tremble once it began to walk towards him. The way the figure moved hinted at absolute and utter rage with every step he took towards the trembling old man.

The figure stopped in front of the man who, with the help of the moonlight now coming into the room, showed to be very well built like a few of the knights around Mewni despite his age. The man was also a little taller than the figure but still continued to tremble in his presence. However, once the moonlight cast some of its glow over the figure, which allowed him to see more clearly, he stopped and relaxed.

"Haha you're just the laundry squire we were looking for! [Wipes a tear from the corner of his eye] You almost had me youngin'." He slammed the dagger into the squires side in a flash, all the way to the hilt, and twisted it vigorously. "Hahaha how do you like that? Now die!" he said with a toothy smile as he pulled out another dagger and stabbed it into his chest.

"No!" screamed the girl as she saw her friend's body take the hit, but surprisingly didn't stagger from the force.

The man continued to laugh, but it quickly died down when the moonlight turned crimson red as it swayed over the squire, illuminating his features.

He was unfazed, even as his blood ran down the blades and dripped onto the wooden floor. The blank look on his face unsettled the man, but what set alarms off in his head was the cold and unchanging yellow eyes piercing into his very soul.

"It seems this is a lost cause, as usual." the squire said with an uncaring tone. The man tried to pull out his blades but soon realized that he couldn't. They were stuck! He tried to take them out once more, but fell on his ass when his hands slipped off due to them being coated with the squire's blood.

Then the squire crouched down in front of the old man so the sinner lifted his head to look up at him but stopped halfway. Every fiber in his body screaming at him to _**run**_ , but he _couldn't_.

He was frozen.

His blood ran ice cold when he felt a hand grip his shoulder, the air becoming crushingly dense as if gravity had increased tenfold. Ignoring his body's alarms to not look up, he fully lifted his head and instantly regretted it.

He was completely paralyzed under his gaze, blood slowly running down the squire's yellow eyes. The red liquid covering a bit of the bright-white crescent moons on his cheeks. The pupils were… different, creating a shape, seeming as if they were slowly rotating in a fixed position.

A second later, the old man's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his entire body shook violently a couple times before stopping, completely still.

It was the end.

* * *

Both squires were on their way back to the illuminated Butterfly Castle that could be seen in the horizon through all the darkness. The girl in his arms was still shaking, but who could blame her after what she had gone through and seen at that shack. However, she still managed to mutter out "thank you, Marco" as a whisper before passing out. Marco didn't say anything as he continued to walk, his sides were still bleeding but his eyes no longer being the case. The golden hue that his eyes had were no longer present either, and were instead replaced by a look of sadness. The unfocused look in his eyes were glazed over as if he weren't even conscious, but as if he were running on... autopilot.

He stopped walking, pulled out his dimensional scissors and tore open a portal in front of him. He looked back at the Forest of Certain Death, were he had found Higgs in such a horrible state, a frown appearing on his face.

He pointed his free hand towards the forest and snapped his fingers weakly.

An explosion abruptly rung out in the direction of the shack, shaking the earth beneath him as he stumbled through the portal, leaving the chaos behind him.

* * *

The accomplices of the man in that shack arrived shortly after the explosion, only to find absolutely _nothing_ , except for a crater-size hole in the ground where the shack used to be. The younger individual that had last spoken to the old man noticed a piece of paper in the middle of it. He made his way down there and recognized that it appeared to be the same paper they had placed in the garden, in the same manner too.

He picked it up, along with the daggers, and saw that, in fact, it was the _exact_ same paper. He turned it around and his blood curdled, cold chill running down his spine/

It was a note.

The words "I know" written in blood sent shivers down his spine that caused him to fall on his weakened knees, as if praying. "Ha.. Ha.. He knew all along... You reap what you sow..."

The group was never seen or heard from again after that, probably going into hiding. Fearing the wrath and punishment of the squire they had poorly decided to mess with. The same squire that had punished their comrade for committing such sinful acts that they had _all_ been a part of, to some degree.

You reap what you sow, indeed.

* * *

Marco stumbled through the portal with Higgs in his arms, accidentally slamming his shoulder into the door of the place he hadn't seen or been to in months. The sound of a doorbell rang due to the impact. The neighborhood dogs began their usual barking, causing him to scoff. ' _Somethings never change_ '.

The lights above the door turned on, blinding him temporarily, and soon heard footsteps nearing the door from inside the home.

"Hello? [Yawns] Who is it?" asked a female voice that he hadn't heard in months, not since the pier, from behind the door.

Marco was preparing himself for whatever may happen at this point because things could go either really well or incredibly bad for him. He had been a lousy boyfriend and a friend to her after promising to do the opposite, so him showing up out of nowhere in his current state wasn't necessarily a good way to break the ice after not having contact of _any_ kind since he left.

Since he left her.

' _Selfish'_.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I-It's me, Marco."

The sounds of several locks being quickly opening caused him to worry. The door flung open, revealing Jackie Lynn Thomas in a green sports tee and blue sweat shorts, probably her pajamas or something. "Marco! What are you- Oh my God! What happened to you?!"

"C-Can I come inside first? My arms are getting kind of tired."

* * *

Marco and Jackie were walking down the stairs that led to up her room, now heading into the living room. The house itself looked similar to Marco's, when he used to live there anyway, from the inside which was weird and funny for some reason.

' _Nothing seems to have changed_ ' he thought as he looked around.

Jackie gestured awkwardly for Marco to take a seat next to her on the couch, a couch cushion separating the two.

It was awkwardly quiet for a few minutes, the only sound being barking from the dogs that had been alerted by Marco's arrival earlier.

Dumb chihuahuas.

Marco sighed causing Jackie to snap out of whatever thoughts she was having at the moment.

"Marco-"

"I'm sorry, Jackie."

Those words were not necessarily the last thing Jackie expected from him, but it still surprised her. She was more confused than surprised, his appearance adding to it since he looked _so_ tired. She had promised herself, and even acted out in front of the mirror of her bathroom, to give Marco a piece of her mind for not even bothering to call or even text her after he left.

They were friends still, after all, right? She was starting to get upset again.

"What are you sorry for Marco? The fact that you lied to me about your feelings or about leaving me and everyone else you cared about behind to follow after Star? How is she by the way?" she said with an annoyed expression.

Yup, it was going bad for him.

He leaned back, resting the back of his head against the couch, and sighed. "I'm sorry for… everything. [Turns head to face her] You have _every right_ to be mad at me, more than anyone else… I'm sorry, Jackie. I was a terrible boyfriend to you for not realizing my own feelings before everything got out of hand but, worst of all, I was a terrible friend. I never deserved a girl like you Jackie, and still don't. [Sad smile] You want to know the funny part? Star and I are still friends, nothing has changed. She's with Tom now, and I'm just her glorified errand boy at this point, title wise anyway, who is basically there to entertain her… So, in the end, I got what I deserved."

Jackie didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth to say _something_ but couldn't utter a single sound. Her heart was breaking seeing Marco look so exhausted and defeated, until she remembered the piece he had just said about Star, anger rapidly growing in her heart.

"Wait wait wait. You're telling me that Star, the one that confessed she liked you in front of all of us including _me_ before she left, got over you in a matter of **weeks** and is now dating her ex?! Wha- What the hell is **wrong** with her!?" she exclaimed, slamming her fist into the couch cushion, surprising Marco. He had _**never**_ seen her get angry before, like _ever_. He honestly thought that no one had.

"I-It's not really her fault, Jackie. This evil guy, Toffee, was attacking her kingdom and she's going through a lot-"

" **Stop** defending her, Marco! You don't need to tell _me_ what happened because you've done it before, a thousand times! [Scoffs] Star pretty much played you like a fiddle, Marco. How can you not see that?" she said sadly.

Marco gave her a confused look, causing her to shake her head slowly at him. [Scoffs] "You don't see it, do you?... Here, let me break it down for you _lover boy_. For one, thanks to _her_ , you became obsessed with magic and Mewni so you pretty much can't live a normal life anymore. Second, she put you through _sixteen years_ of your **life** chasing after magical clones to get dimensional scissors and for what?! Did she ever say thank you for putting your _sanity_ and _health_ at risk?! No, she _didn't_. I'm not even going to get into the fact that she helped us get together and then became the cause for our break up. Oh, but what tops it all off is what you just finished saying, Marco. She basically got over you in a matter of _weeks_. Not years or even _months_ , _**weeks**_ , to then get back with her ex that she didn't even like… But hey, I'm sure that whatever he did to dance his way back into her heart was a whole lot better than what you've given up and done for her. But you're still her errand boy in the end so you have at least that to be proud of, right?"

Marco was speechless… because she was right.

"Well, say something, Marco! Defend _your princess_ like you always do." Marco looked down at his hands, a tear rolling down his dirty cheek. He didn't know what to say, because what Jackie had told him he secretly knew as well but would always dismiss it believing that it was for the best. That it was for the best that he got the short end of the stick, if it meant keeping his friends happy... if it kept Star happy. He truly believed that but now…

"Say **somethi** -"

" I DON"T KNOW! OKAY! What do you want me to say, Jackie! That you're right? Well congratulations, you're right!... You're… right." He then stood up and stepped in front of Jackie, who had a surprised look on her face, probably because she had never heard or seen Marco explode like that.

Out of frustration, and to further prove that she was right, he took off his bloody shirt, causing Jackie to cover her mouth as a gasp escaped it.

"You see all of these scars? I got them when I was in Hekapoo's dimension chasing down her clones… something happened… leading to the majority of these. [Points to the spots were tissue was scarring up but healing at the same time] I got these two _today_ , protecting the girl you helped me carry into your room. So yes, you're right Jackie, I carry my burdens on my body as a reminder of how _stupid_ I can be but I also carry the hope that people can change for the better… These scars were a _choice_. Sure, most of them were accidents but happened because of _my_ choices. [Puts shirt back on and sits back down next to her] You're right, though…"

It was now Jackie's turn to come up with something to say and, surprisingly, she did just that. [Wipes a couple tears] "M-Marco… I'm _so_ sorry. I can't even imagine the things that you went through to have received those scars… Do you want to talk about it?" she asked with sincere concern, making Marco smile a little knowing that she still cared about him after everything that had been said. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I… don't want to relive those memories right now. It's bad enough I have nightmares about them."

Jackie wanted to comfort him and wanted to ask more about what happened but didn't want to push the subject further, especially after finding out about his scars. For some reason, she felt like he hadn't told anyone but her about them… "So… what's the deal with the girl and why did you come here, near two in the morning no less?" She kind of knew what was going on, now that Marco had confirmed her suspicions about the girl currently in her room, but wanted to hear all the details.

Marco slowly nodded and told her what happened, that pertained to Higgs, such as his training with her and so forth. He didn't feel that mentioning his run in with Eclipsa or the freaky occurrence at the garden after she left needed to be included.

"So you _knew_ this was going to happen? Why didn't you do anything to stop it!?"

"R-Relax, Jackie, let me explain. [Sighs] I was keeping a close eye on Higgs while keeping my distance one day and noticed several hooded figures following her around every time she walked through the marketplace, helping the citizens of Mewni. I didn't confront any of them because I had a feeling that there was a larger group at work and there was, twenty to be exact. I was going to meet up with Higgs like usual, where I was going to tell her about what I've been doing and about the people that were following her… I didn't know they were going to strike so soon… [Clenches hands into fists] I should have done a better job protecting her! I don't even want to think about what they did to her or what that moron was going to do to her if I hadn't gotten there in time…" he said, full of guilt.

Jackie didn't want to think about that poor girl's circumstances either so she decided to further along the conversation, while comforting Marco in the process. "It's not your fault Marco so don't beat yourself up for that. What matters is that she is safe now... So what do you want to do?" she asked him.

Marco ran one of his hands through his hair and sighed, fearing the answer she might give to his proposal, especially since she was the only one he trusted at the moment that was available.

"W-Well, I was wondering if Higgs could stay with you for a couple days until she gets-"

"Sure."

"I _knew_ you were going to say that. I'll just take her somew- Wait. Did you just say yes?"

Jackie couldn't help but chuckle at the look of complete surprise on his face, but she couldn't blame him. She did yell at him as soon as they started talking when he arrived so he was right to assume she would be mad at him and she still was to some degree, but not enough to deny him a favor like this. However...

"Yes, Marco, I'll help you out but you must _promise_ _me_ that you will stop going after Star. However, I can tell that you're confused about a lot of things so I'll change it to: see other people. Maybe that will snap you back to your senses or something… Umm, can I ask you for a favor?" she asked sheepishly, a hint of red on her cheeks.

Marco, obviously, didn't see her out of character reaction. He had lost quite a bit of blood after all.

"Umm, yeah, what's up?"

"Well, as you know, I live with my grandma, who is currently out-of-state right now, and has health issues. I've been working several part-time jobs here and there to pay for her medical bills but the mortgage of this house is coming up… My parents aren't helping us anymore so the banks are going to action it off by the time school starts up again in less than a month. So… I was wondering if you knew of any dimensions that had precious stones or something so I could sell them here? It's stupid, I know, but I honestly don't see another safer way at the moment. Janna isn't an option, I've tried... [Looks down a little ashamed] Sorry if it makes it seem like I'm trying to get something out of you dude."

It went silent, making her think for the worse.

"Hahahaha are you _serious_ , Jackie? _That's all_? Haha- Oh God- of course I'll help you! But, I got an even better idea. How about I just _give_ you the money right now?"

Jackie went wide-eyed at her friends ridiculous remark. "W-What? No way, Marco. I don't think you have enough to-" Jackie then went on a tangent on how they were still teenagers, how he couldn't have gotten that much money in such a short amount of time (legally), and how dangerous it was to be carrying that much money around.

Marco rolled his eyes at her, a smile on his face. "Jackie, just tell me the amount, okay?"

"Marco, were you even listening to me? [He raises his eyebrow at her] Fine, its… $350,000 for the mortgage and about $100,000 for her medical bills."

Marco frowned after hearing those numbers. Jackie saw this and was about to tell him "I told you so" but stopped when his watch went off, causing him to quickly turn it off.

"Stupid alarm- Jackie, why do you owe so much? What happened?" he asked with the same level of concern she had showed him earlier. She fidgeted with her hands, not wanted to tell him, but knew she had to or else he wouldn't let it go. She may have been with him for less than a month but she picked up on Marco's habits rather quickly.

[Sighs] "W-Well, the medical bills I was paying off through payments, but with school starting I don't think I would have been able to keep doing that. As for the mortgage… my grandma barely told me the details about a week ago so I've been more stressed than usual. The fact that I called my parents so they could help- they hung up on me by the way- isn't helping me relax. I haven't even gone surfing in _months_ since I don't have the time anymore…"

Marco scratched the back of his head, feeling like an ass for bringing the issue back u[ for her, a simple "Oh" was all he could say at the moment.

However, he quickly recomposed himself. He had a friend that needed his help, that didn't involve him hitting or being hit for a change.

It was nice.

"I'm sorry to hear that… Do you still have the same bank account? [She nods] Okay, good. It'll be easier and faster this way then." Marco lifted his watch up to his face and began to press multiple inputs.

In less than a couple minutes, he was done.

Jackie's phone vibrated in her shorts, startling her. She took it out and her eyes went wide after reading the notification from her bank. She turned to Marco with a shocked expression, causing him to laugh.

"See, I told you it was fine."

"B-But Marco! $500,000?! That's too much! Where did you even get all this money?!"

"Well, that's one of the good things that came out of me doing Hekapoo's Trials. Through those sixteen years, I managed to accumulate about- hmm- I'd say over five billion dollars, if I converted it to dollars that is. Oh, but that amount is for _you_. I've already paid off the mortgage and your grandma's bills so don't worry about that. I took care of it." he said with a smile.

"M-Marco I can't accept this!"

"Yes you can. You've been taking care of your grandma since elementary, Jackie, without your parents help. [Smiles] I still remember that story you told the class about the time your grandma took you to the zoo. Janna put sand down my pants during recess that day… Anyway, you had the biggest smile on your face when you told it too, so don't worry about it. You deserve it. Besides, it's just money, I can always get more. Taking care of my friends is more important to me."

She hugged Marco, surprising him due to the sudden contact and the warmth that followed it.. ' _Still smells like the sea_ ' he thought with a smile. Jackie pulled away, tears running down her face. "Oh thank you, Marco! You don't know how much this means to me. Ha- I don't know what to say." she said with a smile.

"I was going to suggest you talk to my parents about living there since I'm not living there and neither is Star, but I know how much this house means to your grandma since your grandpa built it, right? [She nods] So yeah, this seemed like the best option in the long run. Plus, now you can go to college like you wanted and I'll be happy to help if you need it."

Jackie was so happy she could _kiss_ him but, before she could even try to do so, a few knocks were heard from the front door. Both of them looked at each other, secretly asking one another if they were expecting company this early.

Jackie made her way over to the door, asked who it was, but no one answered. Marco found it odd, but wasn't too worried since he knew the group that captured Higgs wouldn't mess with him anymore, unless they had a death wish, and was pretty sure that he could handle whatever was behind that do-

Jackie opened the door and was surprised at who it was. She hadn't seen her since the party they threw at Marco's house. The one were Star confessed to Marco, _her_ boyfriend at the time. What was her name again? Kebby?

"Where. **Is**. he?" said the girl menacing tone.

Jackie didn't reply fast enough so the girl walked past her and into the living room, where she saw who she was looking for.

Marco's blood ran cold at the sight of Kelly, and the expression on her face.

' _Wasn't she supposed to be with her mom_!?'

Kelly noticed Marco's bloody shirt and face, a frown now etched on her face.

"You better have a **damn** _good explanation_ for this, **Marco**. Oh, I hope to everything _sacred_ that you do." she said with a tone that made the hair on the nape of his neck stand.

' _Fuuuuuuuuuc-_ '

* * *

 **A/N** : **The thing with Higgs was a little troubling for me to write about since rape, or things related to it, are no laughing matter. Which is why I didn't want to make it too unsettling for both our sakes. On another note, Marco done f-ed up lol, hopefully Kelly doesn't tear him a new one. Anyway, once again, sorry for the delay but school is giving me serious doses of fatigue lol. I will try to update every 2 weeks at this rate, but I'll to keep it under 1. As for my other story, I'm having serious writer's block on that so I'm open to suggestions on how/where to take the story. I can't seem to find a path I'm happy with at the moment. Maybe, that'll change in a week or so. Anyway, thanks again for all the support and feedback. It means a lot! See you all next time! Peaceeeee!**

 **P.S.: What happens earlier in the chapter isn't really out of character of Marco. I'll explain it later, if some of you don't already guess it. OmegaDelta I'm looking at you! Oh, I almost forgot, thanks for getting this story over 3500 views!**


	7. Up in the Air

**A/N** : **Here is a new chapter! Don't have much to say besides thanks for everything! Enjoy! Oh, and if you thought last chapter was dark.. Yeah lol caution. Some deep psychological scarring in this chapter, which was oh so much fun to write. You'll see what I mean.**

 **apraxiumRum** **: Yeah, Jackie's words were meant to be harsh for reasons lol that you will see later on. Oh, and the answer to your question will be revealed in this chapter, somewhat. Also, I appreciate all feedback so don't worry lol.**

 **Gold Testament** **: You'll see what happens in this chapter, which I hope is enjoyable.**

 **InvaderL** **: Kelly is upset because Marco didn't go to** _ **her**_ **for help. Anyways, you'll see in this chapter what goes down.**

 **OmegaDelta** **: You are close to the truth like usual (sighs) lol. You reading my mind or something? As for the Blood Moon, hmmm you'll see.**

 **oCoLy** **: Thanks for the kind words!**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

Marco was in some _deep_ shi-hot water right now.

Kelly was looking at him as if he had killed her dog or something, but that's not what's important. What is important is for him to _speak_ , to say _anything_ , before Kelly grabs him by the collar and pummels him. He could tell by her face expression that it was nearing to that point, so he gave it his best shot.

"W-Why are you here, Kelly? I thought you were with your mom and Cora on a trip right now."

Kelly's frown deepened, not liking the fact that he's dodging the inevitable. She took a couple steps, stopping in front of him, and lifted up his shirt before he could react as to what she was doing. Kelly was not mentally ready, even if she had thought of the worst on her way here, to see her best friend's body so _scarred_ and _beaten_. She smacked him thanks to her already building rage, the sound of hand against cheek causing Jackie to flinch.

" _What the_ _ **hells**_ _is wrong with you, Marco_!? **WHY** haven't you told me about [gestures to his torso] this!? H-How did it happen and what did you _**do**_?! I'm with my family one minute and, the next thing I know, I get a dreadful feeling in my chest so I ditched my mom and sister to go and check up on you but _you were_ _ **not**_ _in your room!?_ So tell me **EVERYTHING** , no more secrets, or so help me Marco, I will put you under house arrest on Pandora until I _**feel**_. Like. It! So, **spill**."

Marco knew he had brought this upon himself for not telling Kelly sooner about his burdens.

For keeping secrets.

Heck, he told Jackie so why had he not told her yet? Marco could tell (he hoped) that behind all that boiling rage and death glare, Kelly was hurting and not wanting to hurt him.

"I-I'm sorry, Kelly… I should have told you sooner but I was too ashamed to be seen this way… I didn't want people, especially you, to see all my mistakes _marked_ on my body so… I kept to myself. These scars make me self-conscious, more than usual." he said sadly.

Kelly's facial expression dropped like a rock seeing her best friend in such a state. It broke her heart, BUT she couldn't let him off the hook that easily.

Not yet.

Kelly shifted her body, putting her hands on her hips. "So you're telling _me_ that you didn't _trust_ _me_ enough to know about what you've gone through? Am I not your best friend, Marco? Am I some background character to you, Marco?!"

"NO!... No… You _are_ my _best friend_ Kelly and I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you. I promise to tell you _something_ about me when we get back to my room in Mewni." Kelly's face flushed but was gone as soon as it appeared but Jackie caught a glimpse of it, a frown forming on her face.

"...Fair enough." She sat next to Marco on the couch, placing her hand on his knee. "So, what happened?" she said with deep concern in her tone, completely switching from how she was seconds ago.

Marco took a deep breath and sighed. He really didn't want to talk about the subject of Higgs _again_ , but Kelly deserved to know. He didn't want to worry her more than she already was, so _not_ telling her would have the opposite effect.

"Remember that girl I told you about regarding the whole Quest Buy thing with Star? [She nods] She tried to warn/insult me to drop out of being a squire for my safety about a week ago? Well, we kind of became friends afterwards, in my eyes anyway, and were secretly training together for the upcoming Squire Tournament. We were training for almost an entire week, the same days that I trained with you and your family, for reasons... She wanted to get even with two of her fellow squires for [clenches fists in anger which both girls notice] _doing things to her_."

Kelly placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down a bit. He took another deep breath to fully calm himself. "I agreed to help for two reasons. One: I wanted to keep her safe from them because, even if we don't see I eye-to-eye with one another, I _**cannot**_ tolerate abuse of _any_ kind. Not anymore. Second: I-"

The sounds of wood creaking was heard from the direction of the stairs, to which they all turned their attention to. Halfway down the stairs was Higgs, a sad look in her eyes.

"S-So I was just some... charity case to you?" she whispered, loud enough for them to hear. Marco quickly stood up from the couch and made his way towards the bottom of the stairs, sadness evident in his expression. "No, Higgs, I never thought of you as that." he said softly. "I was just worried about you and what those _assholes_ would do to you. Higgs I-"

"SHUT UP! I don't _need you_ to protect me! I've been alone since **birth** , Marco! So you're a _little_ late on the whole chivalry crap." She said with tears running down her face, voice full of anguish and pain. "Are you so fixed on becoming this _righteous_ knight in shining armor where everyone praises you?! Ha, keep dreaming, _nerd_. Life doesn't wor-"

The sounds of cracking wood stopped Higgs from continuing. All eyes fell on Marco, who was gripping the wooden railing of the stairs with an iron grip. He was looking down at his feet, but slowly rose his head to face Higgs.

"Do you _honestly_ _think_ I give a _flying_ _ **fuck**_ about being a knight? That was the last thing on my mind when you asked for my help, Higgs!" Kelly was about to give the squire a piece of her mind for insulting Marco _after_ he had just saved her from unspeakable acts. She hadn't been told all the details, due to Higgs popping in, but could figure out at what generally went down. However, Marco signaled her with his hand to stop and let him do the talking.

"Higgs, I helped you because I consider you a _friend_ and I _protect_ my friends, **no matter the cost**. Would you like me to show you? [Lifts shirt up earning a gasp from Higgs] Like I've told Jackie before, these are _my_ burdens. _My_ choices. I rather scar my entire body than to see [holds up a finger] _one_ of my friends get hurt, when I could have done _something_ to stop it from happening. So… I'm sorry, Higgs... I failed you as a friend."

Higgs didn't know what to say to him. His eyes held such sadness and pain that she couldn't bare to look at them anymore, but she held her gaze.

His words and voice had no hints of them being lies, something that confused her. Why would someone, who she basically bullied, go to such lengths for an orphan girl with an almost impossible dream of becoming a knight? She had been ridiculed her entire life for having such a dream, even by those she called 'fellow squires'. However, in front of her stood a person that didn't make fun of her _**once**_ (that she was aware of), never showed her any disrespect, or acted as if she was below him in any way.

Heck, he had taken _two daggers_ into his body while/for _helping_ _ **her!**_

But, she was still confused.

The fact that she never had a _real_ friend before didn't aid her confusion regarding the boy in front of her. She had overheard their conversation and instantly thought negative things about him. But who could blame her? She had been taken advantage of… and ridiculed her whole life so her trust levels were _really_ low. Maybe…

Maybe Marco is the first person she can say she trusts without a sliver of a doubt.

Someone she can lower her guard around.

Someone she can laugh and have a good time with.

Someone she can _finally_ call a... friend.

At the bottom of the steps stood Marco with Higgs hugging him, as if he was the person she had been looking for her entire life and finally found him. Her emotions were starting to get to her once they mixed with what she had gone through hours ago.

"I-I'm t-the one who's s-sorry Marco! I-I'm _s-so_ s-sorry! I-I w-was _so_ s-scared!" she wailed into his shoulder. Marco, not knowing what else to do when a girl was crying in his arms, did the only thing he _did_ know and that was to…

Higgs felt his arms wrap around and pull her in closer, his warmth making her feel _a lot_ better. Marco then began to stroke her head as she continued to cry, still feeling guilty for not doing a better job as a friend, until she eventually calmed down. He lead her towards the couch, helping her sit down next to Kelly, who looked a little irritated but decided not to comment on it.

Once everyone, including Jackie, made themselves comfortable, he told them everything from start to finish. It was basically what he had told Jackie had happened. At the end of it, Kelly _still_ looked irritated but not as much as she was earlier. Her irritation wasn't towards Marco, but to the people who had hurt him.

Maybe she could ask her mom for a favor...

"So _why_ did you bring Higgs _here_?" asked Kelly.

"Because I thought she would be safer _here_ than being in Mewni since none of the other squires can get to Earth without dimensional scissors. I don't see how they could afford to acquire someone who has some. Oh, and Jackie's here so she could take care of and keep an eye on Higgs while I got one of the spare rooms in the castle ready for her because there's no way in _hell_ that I'm letting her go back into those barracks... Not yet."

Kelly was having conflicting emotions right now. On one hand, she was so _proud_ about what he had so selflessly done to help a friend but, on the other hand, she was angry at him for hurting himself in the process after she had _specifically_ told him to be careful hours ago. She was also a little angry about him being so involved with Higgs, but she decided to put her jeal-concern aside for now.

"Alright, fair enough. So, when are we going to go to your room?" she asked with a slight hint of blush on her cheeks, but tried to hide it behind her irritated look.

Marco was happy that he had diffused the situation, as best as he could, without anyone (mainly him) getting hurt. He looked at Higgs, who noticed his worried look. She smiled at him and told him that "she was feeling better" thanks to him. He returned her smile and nodded.

He walked up to Jackie, who was glaring at Kelly for some reason, and gave her a quick hug which she returned happily. [They parted] "Thanks for doing this favor for me Jackie, oh and [leans in to whisper] try to be friends with her. She's a good person. I'll be back in a few days for sure." he finished with a smile.

"Sure thing Marco, and don't forget about what we talked about alright?… Take it easy."

"... Sure."

With that, they said their goodbyes, Higgs giving Marco one last hug before him and Kelly walked through the portal back to what both girls assumed to be going to Marco's room.

' _Friend huh_ ' she thought with a smile, now looking forward to going back to Mewni for obvious reasons.

* * *

Both companions walked into Marco's room. The pale moonlight was the only source of light, since it was still the early hours of a new day. Marco gestured to Kelly to have a seat on his bed, while he turned on the lights. Once both friends were seated, Kelly punched him on the shoulder.

"Okay, I deserve that." Marco said while rubbing his now sore shoulder.

"Yeah, you deserve a lot more than that _**bad boy**_ , but you've had a rough day already so I'll let you off easy, _this time_." Kelly said with a stern look.

Marco gave her a deadpan expression, silence filling the room.

Both of them busted out laughing seconds later. Marco stopped and sighed, knowing that Kelly was waiting for him to explain _something_ about him. He honestly didn't want to talk about it again, the first being with Hekapoo at the end of his Trial.

However, Kelly was his best friend and deserved to know more about him, even if it pained him to do so. He turned towards Kelly and placed a hand over hers, needing whatever support he could get to allow him relive his nightmares.

"A-Alright, I guess I'll tell you about my 'wonderful' past." He said with a sad smile, which Kelly wanted to comment on but decided against it. "I-I was already a few years into Hekapoo's Trial for the scissors. I hadn't found a _single_ clone or even caught a clue of where to find one. By then, I had established a reputation for myself as the people's 'helper' and had worked towards a decent physique. [Goes silent] I.. used to help this orphanage in a dimension whose name I can't remember but what I **do** remember is what happened a certain day… [pulls up shirt and points to a scar that goes along his abdomen] and it's related to this."

Kelly was getting a bad vibe from Marco's story, but she had to stick to the end. She _needed_ to know more about Marco. So she continued to give him her undivided attention.

"T-That day I was helping the orphanage by bringing over barrels of water that the people of a nearby town had donated. On my way there I stumbled upon... two little orphans, a boy and a girl, who happened to be going in the same direction so I walked with them. The boy was five and the girl was 3… Anyway, [clears throat] we were close enough to see the orphanage from far away, but I sensed something was wrong… I should have dropped everything and ran back to town with the orphans but I didn't… O-Once… Once we arrived at the door, I told the orphans to stick close to me. I put the barrels down to open the door…"

A single tear slides down Marco's face as a he holds back a choked sob, causing Kelly to tense up. "In the middle of the room… in the middle of… there was a pile of bo..bodies. A-All mutilated... c-children..." [Breaths shakily]

Kelly covers her mouth out of shock as she begins to cry silently, trying to hold back her sobs. Marco's face scrunches up, as if confused.

"O-Out of pure shock, I didn't notice that someone had moved to my side... [Slams fist onto knee] The next thing I knew, I had a bleeding gash across my midsection followed by a numbing punch to my jaw… The two children… were then surrounded by people with a coffin symbol tattooed on their shoulders. I... I tried to fight back but... I was losing too much blood so they easily overpowered me.. Instead of killing me right away, they held me down and m-made me watch as they…"

A small whimper escaped Marco as more tears began to slide down his somber face. He gulps back the tight feeling in his throat and releases a shaky breath. Kelly wanted to stop him, knowing damn well that Marco was hurting by reliving this moment of his past, and was about to stop him from continuing. But, Marco's tight squeeze on her hand stopped her.

This was his decision.

"A-As th-ey… as they mu… mutilated the two orphans in front of me… First, they separated them and st-arted on the boy first… One of them stuck a knife into his neck and… head wasn't attached anymore… The little girl was crying the entire time… Her fearful eyes pleaded me to help… they didn't kill her right away.. After they were done cutting the b… [exhales sharply] T-They all… di-d th-ings to her-"

Kelly, now crying and sobbing, couldn't take it anymore so she squeezed his hand, but he didn't stop.

He had to finish.

"Th-they **all** did th-things… A-After they were d-done... th-ey did to her what they did to her b-rother… [Marcos's eyes grow cold and distant] Th-they beat me until I passed out from the pain… I woke up… In front of me was the bloody pile of bodies that were now rotting.. I.."

Kelly notices through her tear-filled eyes that Marco's voice wasn't breaking as much, tears no longer being shed by her broken friend.

"M-Marco, are you-"

"I wanted to die."

The bluntness and coldness of how he said that made Kelly's anxiety and worry skyrocket. Marco was beginning to show signs of utter hopelessness, which worried her to no end. Before she could say anything, Marco slowly moved his hand away from hers.

"I wanted to die… I couldn't help those people… those orphans… anyone… before I could bleed out, I decided to take my life with a nearby dag-"

Kelly pounced on Marco, embracing him with all the love and comfort she could manage. "Stop! Please, Marco! It'll be okay so pl-"

"-ger. But a blinding red light coming through the orphanage windows showered over me, causing me to drop the dagger so I could shield my eyes... I tried to scramble to pick up the dagger but-"

" **Please** , _STOP_!" Kelly begged.

"-a ghostly hand stopped me inches away from the dagger. When I looked up, I saw the face of a beautiful woman who looked… heartbroken. She shook her head at me and whispered into my ear that I now had... power to protect those in need but at a price. That price was-"

The sounds of a slap echoed throughout his room. Kelly had tears running down her eyes as she looked down at Marco, whose eyes were returning to normal. " **Stop** … Just… stop." she said in a heartbroken tone, still crying, not wanting to picture her friend dead. Her tears landed on Marco's face, and his eyes went wide at the realization.

He had said too much.

He shouldn't have expected for Kelly to handle that much of his… past.

'S _elfish._ '

The boy's eyes began to tear up again.

Marco brought Kelly down towards him in an embrace, burying his face into her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry, Ke-lly… I shouldn't have expected-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kelly placed her index finger over his lips while giving him a sad tear-stained smile. "Shh, It's okay, M-Marco. Don't worry about it. Just... don't say you want to di-go away, okay?" She got off of him and helped him off the bed, up on his feet. She hugged Marco tightly, causing him to struggle for air.

"Ke-lly… air.." he huffed out.

She released him out of her vice grip, saying "sorry" in the process. The two stood in the room for minutes in silence.

Marco looks at Kelly and sighs. "I'm sorry, Kells… but now you know about one of the things I went through in the trials…"

Kelly was both shocked and sick to her stomach at what Marco had gone through, and now he had just told her that there was _more_. More bloodshed, psychological stress, and pain… so much pain.

This was what her mother had talked about after he left once their first trial was over. She wanted to tell her mother about this and she _was_. Kelly needed all the help she could get to help her friend out of this crisis. The other problem was Star…

"Have you told Star yet? [Marco shakes his head slowly] Wh-WHAT! Why not!?"

"Because she's going to feel guilty about it Kelly! It wasn't her fault for the things that happened to me! It was _my_ choice... I could have left but I didn't because I **couldn't**!.. I didn't want what had happened at the orphanage to happen _anywhere else_ under _my_ watch. [Chuckles sadly] It's how I got all those marks on my body."

"... Is it because of that power you talked about? Who gave it to you!?" she exclaimed, causing Marco to flinch.

"I… I don't know. I just remember waking up near the town with the scar. As for the power itself… I don't really know much on how it works-"

"Don't. **_Lie_**. To. Me. Marco!"

"I'm not lying! All I basically know is that I get hurt and problem gets solved. Simple... I prefer it that way... Like I've said, these are _my_ burdens! So **drop** it." he said with a stern look.

Kelly was furious with Marco and was about to lash out at him for being stubborn, but remembered what her mother had told her when she walked in on her and Cora's conversation about Marco days ago.

Her mother had asked them how they felt about Marco. Cora said she "liked him but felt he was hiding serious baggage." Kelly, on the other hand, didn't respond, to which her mother found amusing. She asked Cora to leave them to speak in private.

* * *

*Mini-Flashback*

"Sweetie, how do you feel about Marco? Tell me the truth." Liliana said with a serious, but caring tone.

"I-I… I care a lot about him, mom. Like _a lot_... I feel like i can trust him with anything even-"

"Your life?" Liliana said with a smile.

"Y-Yes. H-How did you know I would say that?"

Liliana sighs and rubs the ring on her finger. "I've been your age so I know that feeling. Anyway, Marco is a special case sweetie. He is someone who cares deeply for his friends, [she frowns] a little too much sometimes. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and is _very_ self-conscious about himself. He reminds me a little of your fath… [clears throat] The point is, don't push him away. **No**. **Matter**. **What**. Because _if_ you do, it may very well harm your relationship with him. Look at what happened with how Star treated him."

Kelly's eyes go wide at her mother's statement.

"H-How did yo-"

"[Smirks] I have my ways. Just heed my advice and your relationship with him will grow."

*End Mini-Flashback*

* * *

Kelly sighs in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright. Alright! Have it your way _Diaz_. [Frowns] I have to return before my mom finds out I'm gone, but don't think for a _second_ that this conversation is over, because I **will** get through your stubborn ways and make you see how wrong you are. It's what _best_ _friends_ are for." she said with absolute confidence, causing Marco to blush, completely forgetting that he was angry a few seconds ago.

Before he could respond, Kelly took out a pair of scissors and leaped through the portal she quickly made, leaving Marco alone with his thoughts.

' _I guess that's how she ditched her family to check up on me but how did she know where to find me?..._ _Ehh, I'm too tired to care… She still wanted to talk about my past though.. huh._ '

He looks at his calendar to see what he had planned for the week, to make sure he had enough time to get a room ready for Higgs, and sees a date circled. It takes him a few seconds to realize that that's the day of the Squire Tournament, less than a week away. A sense of determination washes over him. ' _I can't wait to humiliate those_ _ **assholes**_ _in front of all of Mewni_.' he thought with a dark grin, eyes flashing gold before returning to normal.

His thoughts then suddenly shifted to what Jackie had told him before coming back to Mewni with Kelly.

He knew she was right but… Star…

He pulled out his mirror phone from under his pillow and sent Star a message that he hoped she would see soon:

' _Hey Star… We need to talk._ '

As soon as he sent the message, the sound of a familiar ringtone was heard from behind his door. It sounded like…

He dashed to his door and flung it open, and noticed that the ringing was coming from his right. He turned and cursed under his breath at who he saw.

It was Star.

She was curled into herself, knees touching her shoulders as she had her face buried into her dress. Marco wasn't expecting Star to be back from the trip with Queen Moon so soon.

"Star-"

"It's all my fault… It's my fault…"

He was afraid of this.

Marco kneels down next to her, hugging his friend. "Star, it's not your fault. It was my choice to go through with the trial so please don't blame yourself." he said softly, trying to comfort the princess.

Star looked up at him, tears evident on her face, smudging the make-up. She lunged at and embraced him, her crown poking his forehead.

"D-Don't leave me, Marco. I'll do _anything_ , so p-please don't leave me." she pleaded, which honestly broke his heart at hearing her sound so sad and desperate. Sure, he had initially blamed her for what he had gone through but, after deep meditation, he came to the conclusion that he had no one to blame but himself.

He had been given a way out, several times, and didn't take it.

"Star, hey, it's fine so don't worry. I won't leave you, you're special to me Star." he said with a comforting tone. She looked up at him and gave him one of her trademark smiles, causing him to smile back. However, Jackie's words rang throughout his head, causing him to sigh.

"BUT [Star frowned] I can no longer be your squire."

Star was shocked as soon as those words left her bestie's mouth.

"B-But WHY!? I thought we were having fun and-and-"

"Star, let's face it. Me being your squire has been mostly me doing errands. In fact, the last time you 'ordered' me to do _anything_ as a squire was during the incident with Higgs at Quest Buy so the position is redundant... I… want to squire under Sir Lavabo, which I've been doing by the way. Did you even notice that? Oh, and did you know what making me into your squire means? [She shook her head] Well, it basically means you want to marry me and you're with Tom so that's another reason why I can't continue to be your squire."

Star's cheeks were rosy at what Marco had just revealed to her. _Of course_ she _knew_ of the implications of making Marco her squire. She was kind of hoping that he wouldn't find out… but she was dating Tom! But…

She still liked Marco.

 _ **A lot**_.

Which was why she felt jealous of Kelly, recently. Trying to steal her ma-bestie! Unacceptable! However, she didn't want Marco to know of her feelings, _yet_ , since she didn't know how she should tell him. She also had to deal with Tom too… Uhhh! So she had to let Marco go from being her squire, or else he _will_ find out about her feelings (since he's smart) and she wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for that!

"F-Fine, Marco. [Pulls out wand and holds it over him] From here on out, you are no longer my squire. You are relieved of your duty… BUT you are still _my_ best friend and will continue to help me,.. if you want to of course..." she says with a sad smile.

Marco rolls his eyes at her and smiles.

"Sure, Star. I'll still help and go with you on your wacky adventures. Oh, one last thing before I forget. I'm going to be participating in the Squire Tournament in a few days and would like it if you came."

Star's eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face. "Yes! Of course I'll be there, Marco!" Marco smiled at her response, then yawned. He checked his watch and saw that it was close to 4 AM. Wow, time sure flies when you're saving a friend, getting stabbed, and reliving painful memories.

Marco noticed that Star looked tired as well and a question suddenly popped into his head.

"Umm, Star? Why were you outside my room? I thought your trip with your mom wasn't over until tomorrow or something."

Star looked at Marco dumbfounded and began to chuckle nervously. "O-Oh, that. Umm, wellll… I had a bad feeling in my chest that you were in danger so I came as soon as I could. I rode cloudy all the way here because my mom took my dimensional scissors away and prohibited me from using magical portals to leave so I _technicallyyyy_ didn't go against her word. I came to your room since I had a feeling you were going to be there.."

Marco's heart felt tight after hearing Star's words. ' _Wow, she did all that for me?_ ' he thought with a goofy smile, causing her to chuckle. A thought then pops into his head.

' _Wait… Didn't Kelly say she got a bad feeling and thought it was about me too? Isn't this the same thing?_ '

Star brought him out of his thoughts with a light punch on his shoulders.

"W-What?" he asked confused.

"I said 'Goodnight Marco, I'll see you tomorrow if my mother doesn't ground me for life.' Weren't you listening?"

"S-Sorry, I guess I spaced out... and don't worry Star. I'll help you talk to your mom about it. Maybe she won't be so hard on you with me doing the talking." he said with a smile.

Star's cheeks went a little rosy, causing her to grin. "Thanks bestie! Well, see you tomorrow!" she exclaimed, hugging the boy before running towards her room.

Once Star was out of his sight, he felt a tug in his chest. It felt as if his heart felt tight, a feeling he had gotten with Kelly several times during their training sessions, and now he felt it with Star?

' _No… I can't be having feelings for Star anymore. It must be the fact that I haven't seen her in a while.. Yeah, that must be it._ '

He was too tired to delve into the matter further so considered his answer to be the right one as he headed back into his room to get some much needed sleep.

That night he was surprised when no nightmares came. This being a first since before the trial. The moons were slowly fading out of view thanks to the Sun of Mewni, however, before it could fade any more, the smaller of the two moons shown a red light into Marco's room. The light caressed the boy's frame, causing him to smile in his sleep.

He dreamt of all the fun times he had with Star that night and also of the times with.… Kelly.

* * *

Kelly was sitting in a tent with her mom, Cora fast asleep in her own. The bushy haired girl was _nervous_ because she had been caught instantly in her check up of Marco. Her mom's face held no expression, causing her worries to increase.

"So, how is he?" Liliana asked, bringing Kelly out of her stupor.

"H-He's fine."

[Frowns] "Don't lie to your mother. How. Is. He?"

Kelly shrunk under her mom's intense gaze and authoritative tone. Something she and her older sister haven't been able to overcome.

[Sighs] "He's… hurting. He told me of... _something_ that happened to him during his trial with Hekapoo and I… couldn't handle it." she said in shame.

Liliana's eye twitched out of frustration at her daughter for not being to able to be there for a friend, _especially_ Marco. Hekapoo had told her of Marco's... _experiences_ so she knew they weren't for the weak-willed, but still. ' _That poor boy..._ '

Liliana could also tell that her daughter wasn't telling her the whole truth, but decided to let it go, for now.

She rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"Well, you'll be lucky if he _ever_ tries to talk with you about _that_ again... You really messed up your chance to get closer to Marco, Kelly, so hopefully it doesn't come to back to bite you-"

"B-But Marco and I are going to talk about it more! I won't let him shoulder something like _that_ all alone! I can't!" she exclaimed, causing her mother to smile sweetly at her.

' _That's my daughter. A chip of the *ahem* not so old block._ '

[Kisses her forehead] "Get some rest, sweetie, we'll talk more about Marco in a few hours."

Kelly groans for having to wake up early but still nods, while Liliana exits the tent and into the cool early-morning air.

She began to walk until she came upon a small clearing, that looked eerily similar to the one Marco had been. Liliana went towards the middle and copied Marco's meditative form, but didn't close her eyes. Instead she looked up at the sky and smiled.

"He's not meditating... I guess it's time for me to show the boy a trick... or two." she whispered to no one in particular, as her smile grew.

* * *

 **A/N** : **Wow... Well, hoped you liked it! Thanks for getting this story over 4900 views! That's crazyyy stuff! Anyway, thanks for everything, _especially_ the feedback. I love responding back to you peeps so keep 'em coming! I also didn't take forever to get this out so yay! Until next time, peaceeee! **


	8. Promises

**A/N** : **Thanks for all the feedback and for getting this story to 7000 views! Just… WOW! I really appreciate it and makes my day reading them so keep them coming! Anyways, I'll keep this short so enjoy!**

 **OmegaDelta** **: Lol you don't cause me problems so don't worry, keep doing you and thanks for the reviews! I love hearing back from you so keep 'em coming! I will admit that you are very good at reading between the lines but that makes my job at surprising you all the more challenging and I love it! As for Marco's problems… you'll see. I'll develop it more and his past may come back to haunt him.**

 **PrometheusDark** **: Lol how would Starkellco work? Might be interesting though…**

 **skystar99** : **Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to stay up so late to read it. I guess I must be doing something right if people are losing sleep to read it lol.**

 **Resurrection99** : **Thanks for the kind words and I'm happy to know that you're rooting for Kellco because I know that Starco is the main ship, but it's nice to have different perspectives. And yeah, Marco's time during the trials did affect him, it would be kinda weird if it didn't lol. The show pretty much glossed over that whole thing. I'll try to keep up the great work if college papers don't end me.**

 **TheAllKnower** **: Thanks and you got your wish! Rather soon actually lol.**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

Kelly couldn't believe her eyes and neither could her sister.

Marco, the kind and gentle boy whose past didn't change him for the worse, was sparring with her mother and he was… _not pinned on the ground_ by **her**.

Her mother.

The most trained and highly skilled assassin of her people, and the dimension, was sparring with Marco, and she wasn't going easy either. It was a mystery to her how he wasn't pinned face down on the ground begging for her to stop.

Liliana somersaulted over Marco's body as he tried to land an overhead karate chop on her, and spun her body, perfectly, to land a kick on Marco's back. He flew a few feet forward landing with an 'umph' when he hit the ground, face first.

Aaaand there went Kelly's astonishment.

"That's good Marco. You're getting better." Liliana said with a smile. She had good reason to be happy since he had surpassed her expectations by far in their time training together. It also looked like he wasn't _too_ tired and that's an accomplishment on its own.

At first, Marco was hesitant to take up Lily's offer of fighting practice, but he caved in after the tenth time of her asking him. The fact that the Squire Tournament was just around the corner was what actually made him agree, but she didn't need to know that.

Marco stood up, coughing up dirt, and dusted his dirty t-shirt. He could feel every single ache in his body and the soreness in his strained muscles. It had been this way for the past three days.

"Li-Lily, could you please not kick my back _so_ _hard_? I think I felt my spine shift with that last one.."

Liliana began to walk up to Marco, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and gave him a good smack on the back.

"Oh don't be such a baby Marco. You've done well for the past few days and it shows. In all honesty, I'm very impressed with how fast you can learn. [Looks at Kelly and Cora] You even managed to surpass Cora, who you couldn't even land a hit on when we started, in such a short amount of time But.. [pinches his face] you still lack experience and that can't be taught, so be careful." she said with a concerned tone.

Marco, still trying to rub the pain from the kick, nodded. She was right and he had no room to argue about that. He noticed that Kelly had gone quiet, too quiet, so he looked over to her. She was squinting her eyes at him, almost as if she were _studying him_.

"Uhh, Kelly? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, Marco, there is."

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Marco had no clue what was going on, but could tell by her expression that it was serious.

"Umm, mom and Cora, could you give us some privacy?" she asked with a serious tone. Liliana and Cora gave each other a quick glance, as if secretly communicating, and they nodded. Cora went on ahead towards their camp, while Liliana stopped next to Marco and leaned into his ear.

" _Misery loves company, but it doesn't have to be that way._ " she whispered into his ear, then walked away in the same direction as her oldest daughter.

Before Marco could think about what Liliana had just told him, Kelly took his hand and began to lead him away from the clearing. "Umm, Kelly? Where are we going?" he asked once they walked into the forest, but she didn't answer and kept walking.

After several minutes of silence and walking, they both pushed past a bit of the forest's overgrowth to finally reach their destination. The spot they had walked into was a small indent in the forest that almost seemed like a buffer or rest stop for those who wandered into it. There was a rock that almost served as a perfect bench, a small stream running through the bottom of said rock from the slightly elevated pond a couple feet away. Kelly sat down, not looking at him, and patted the seat next to her.

Marco sat down next to the bushy haired girl and couldn't help but feel nervous. Kelly was rarely serious, but the times that she was were usually _serious_ so he braced himself.

"This is my special place… helps me think." she said while looking ahead with an unfocused gaze.

Marco didn't know how to respond to that so he went with the choice that had the least probability of ruining the moment. "T-That's nice?" Wow, his voice managed to crack while he said that but Kelly was either too distracted or nice to notice, which he was grateful for.

If only he could use his grown up voice, but that would make things weird and hurt his throat so he ruled that option out.

"I want to tell you how I knew where you were the day of you telling me about… your past. I… Well, _we_ , as my family, were training in the clearing we just came from when I felt this horrible _dread_ and somehow I **knew** it had something to do with you. [Turns to him] I knew where you were because the place we are in now is… Earth… but I bet you already knew that, huh?"

Kelly's pained expression made Marco's heart tighten in sadness. Her eyes had so many emotions swirling in them, but the one he did catch caused his heart to throb: misery.

He looked away from her and stared into the distance. After a few seconds of silence, he turned back to her and gave a sad smile.

"Yeah… I knew that already."

Kelly didn't say anything so the two just sat there, listening to the sounds of the forest. He was lost in the sounds until he snapped back to reality when he felt Kelly's hand on top of his. He jerked his head to her at break neck (literally) speed, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking straight ahead, as if thinking of what to say which he should give a shot at someday.

"... I found you because this-this _pull_ in my chest was, like, _guiding_ me to you. Once I pinpointed your location, the sensation in my chest felt almost _suffocating_ so I snuck into my sister's tent in order to use her scissors… [Places hand on her forehead] I... did it all without thinking because my entire being was _screaming_ at me to go to you, like a magnet… and when I saw you all bloody and hurt…" She used her other hand to cover her mouth, trying to hold back her tears.

Marco brought her into an embrace and held her in his arms until her sobbing ended. She lightly tugged on his shirt which he interpreted as 'hold me tighter'. He apparently got it right because she didn't pull away or tug on his shirt again and, after several minutes, they slowly parted from their warm and comforting embrace.

"I-I'm sorry Marco… I've been holding that in for a few days now and it just all kind of… (nervously chuckles) yea." Marco put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a heartwarming smile. "It's fine Kelly, really, it's fine. I really should be more careful with the way I… handle things and I promise you that I will so don't worry too much."

She returned the smile and nodded at him, happy with that promise, but she needed a way for him to keep _and_ make her another promise and she had just the thing. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink just thinking about it, but she had to go for it. Her mother had raised her to be scared of _nothing_ … but the **nerves**!

"U-Umm M-Marco?"

"Yes, Kelly?"

"C-Could you promise me something else?"

Marco found Kelly's nervousness and shyness rather… cute, so he couldn't help but smile and nod. She was too busy dealing with her own turmoil to notice that he now sported a similar blush. "Sure, Kelly."

"... C-Could you promise me that you- umm- will... [takes a deep breath] neverleavemeandrelyonmeifsomethingiswrong?" Marco blinked a few times, trying to process what she had just said so quickly and, when he finally figured it out, his blush deepened to a scarlet hue.

"I uhh… sure, Kelly, I can promise you that BUT you're going to have to promise me that you will trust me, have my back, and not be stubborn, okay?"

"[Sighs] I can't promise about the stubborn thing but the other things I will gladly do… Wait… isn't that what friends already do for each other?" she asked him with a dumbfounded expression.

Marco chuckled at her reaction to finally figuring it out. "Yes, Kelly, that's basically what I'm saying. [Notices her expression turn sad] Hey, what's wrong?"

"Only friends?... As in… nothing more?"

Marco was surprised to say the least about what he had just heard. Sure, he _kind of_ suspected that Kelly had feelings for him. He wasn't _that_ dense, all the time, but it was a _whole_ other thing to actually have her hint at wanting to be more than just best friends.

Marco placed his hand on top of hers and smiled when she made eye contact. Since he had known Kelly, which isn't that long but felt like he had known her longer than Star at times, knew that she was the actions-speak-louder-than-words type so he had to choose his next words _very_ carefully as well as his actions.

"Kelly… I consider you my _best friend_ and honestly can't see my life without you in it. [Scoffs] Weird, isn't it? We've known each other for less than a year yet... I feel like I've known you my _entire life._ I guess we just _click_ , you know? We make a great team and... I would be lying if I said that I haven't _considered_ or _pictured_ us as more than best friends," Kelly blushed madly at hearing this, "but… I still have some feelings for Star." he said with evident sadness.

Kelly's heart broke once she heard those words. She shouldn't have tried to be anything more than friends. She should have just been grateful for the wonderful relationship that they currently had. She should have _buried_ her feelings for him, so they hopefully never resurfaced.

Kelly was about to sit up and leave, to run as far away from him as possible and cry where he wouldn't be able to see her. To dwell in her own misery, at never being able to be with him, but the firm grip of his hand held her down. She didn't want to look at him, but something compelled her to and her heart broke all over again. The look of anguish in his eyes squeezed at her heart and a small, almost silent, gasp escaped past her lips.

"Kelly… I… wasn't finished… [Takes a deep breath and exhales] I would like to give us being together... as a couple a... try _but_ it wouldn't be _fair_ to you that we do so while I have these feelings. I-I… I need some sort of closure with Star. [Sighs] I don't know when or how soon that closure will come so… could you wait for my answer? I know it's selfish and-"

Kelly's soft lips silenced whatever rant Marco was about to get into. His mind went blank at the sudden but warm contact so he weakly returned the kiss. Kelly was the one steering this ship and he wasn't complaining, not that he could at the moment. The kiss was _completely_ different from the ones he and Jackie had shared. The ones they shared felt sweet and fuzzy, but the one he was currently sharing with Kelly was more… _deep_ , causing his senses to dull. As if he stopped kissing her he would go into some sort of free fall in an endless abyss and never hit the ground, to never feel anything again. For the first time, in a _very long time,_ he felt his heart swell with joy and happiness.

Was this how a real kiss felt like and made someone feel?

For Kelly, the kiss caused her heart to beat faster than the time she had to swim away from deadly sea creatures in water dimension or the time she was pinned and almost killed by Yhorm or… the point being that it was beating **very** _fucking_ _fast_. The feeling of their lips touching sent shivers down her spine and, when she felt Marco _return_ the kiss, she felt absolute bliss. Her courage had actually paid off! Her entire being was being overstimulated, from the action they were partaking in, that it felt almost… _addicting_.

It was just a simple kiss but the feelings behind it weren't.

After what seemed like an eternity, when in reality it was about a minute, their lips slowly parted from one another. They stared into each other's twinkling eyes and could tell that the other was in a state of euphoria.

"Wow… that was.. Wow." Marco stammered with reddening cheeks, wide eyed.

Kelly couldn't help but giggle, a little girlier than she'd expected, at how cute he looked when he was a nervous-blushing mess. She was also extremely giddy at the fact that _she_ was the one who had caused him to react that way and, for some reason, that caused her confidence to shoot through the roof!

" _That_ , Marco, is what you call a _kiss_ [smiles] and also a way to seal our promises so you can't break them or _else_ … As for giving you time, yes Marco, I'll give you time **BUT** don't keep me waiting _too_ long okay?" she said with a simple smile.

Marco snapped out of his bliss induced stupor and nodded. "I'll try to give you an answer as soon as I can Kelly… umm… but are you sure about wanting to be with me? [Smiles sadly] I have _a lot_ of baggage… not to mention my endless insecurities. I'm kind of… broken." he chuckled sadly.

Kelly _**hated**_ when he talked like that about himself. She didn't see Marco as some broken thing. She only saw him as a person who was just trying to live their life without strife or sadness, surrounded by those he cared about. To be of help to those in need no matter the situation or price. She also thought of him as selfless, courageous, smart, funny, charming, chivalrous, talented, kind, and _so much_ _ **more**_. Marco telling her about what happened during his trials won't ever change that, or anything for that matter.

It was a crushing shame that he didn't see himself in a better light, she truly believed that. However, the universe thought differently when it came to Marco. He had been a witness to horrible things that _no one_ , **especially** him, should experience. But… he did. And he's trying to go back to his as-normal-as-can-be life, but it seems fate his different things stored for him…

A cruel and heartless fate that has tortured an innocent boy… forced to become someone he wasn't but now is for the sake of… friends. Choice or not, it wasn't fair for those things to have happened to Marco.

Kelly mentally clenched her fists in anger, silently promising to herself and Marco that **nothing** would harm him _ever_ _ **again**_. Not on her watch. If the universe wanted to break him, then it would have to go through her first.

Kelly gave Marco's hand a reassuring squeeze, making eye contact with his beautiful chocolate browns. "Hey hey, don't say that about yourself Marco. You may be going through… things right now, things you haven't told me about, [he gives her a sad look] BUT you're _not_ broken."

"But Kelly-"

"BUT Kelly _**nothing**_. If… If you _truly_ _believe_ that you're 'broken' then how about you let me handle the… repairs? [He gives her a confused look] Oh for the love of- just come to me when you have a problem or tell me you do and I'll help you, okay?! Just because I love you doesn't mean that I'm going to stop being your best friend you dork." she says with a smile, while quickly flicking him on the nose.

Marco grinned at her, not caring if she saw how crimson his cheeks were due to all the heat he could feel on his face. Kelly seemed to enjoy how he looked because her smile grew even wider.

"Thanks Kells, it really means a lot to me that you care so much… I'll... tell you about my past but… umm… let me collect my thoughts first on that stuff, then I'll tell you, I promise."

Kelly's smile turned into a flirtatious, mischievous, one at hearing the last few words. However, Marco was oblivious to why she was reacting like that.

" _So~_ [she bit her lower lip] should we seal that promise too?" she said with half lidded eyes and a quick wink.

Marco's face erupted with heat and his body felt a few shivers pass through it at what she had just said. The way she was looking at him was only causing his body and mind to shut down even more. His inexperience with girls came in handy, and by that I mean that he became a stuttering nervous mess, again, like puddy in her hands.

"Uhhmm.. Uhmm… Ye- umm.."

' _He can't even formulate a sentence! Kelly, girl, you're causing him to fall apart and you're not even trying!_ ' she congratulated herself in her own head, a smile automatically spreading on her lips.

"Wow, you crashed Marco."

Both teens turned around at the sudden but familiar voice, snapping both of them out of the atmosphere they (mostly Kelly) had created. Marco shot off his seat and opened his mouth to say _something_ , but not words came out. Kelly groaned as she stood up, and faced the individual whose voice it belonged to.

"MOM! You couldn't have chosen some _other_ time to interrupt us? I was really enjoying myself you know!" Kelly said in an irritated tone, which caused her mom to burst out laughing.

"Oh, I _know_ you were sweetie, [looks at Marco] I just felt that Marco needed a breather since.. it seemed like his programming crashed!" she laughed harder, failing to contain her laughter. "Oh, lighten up hun, I was only playing. [Ahem] Anyway, I came to get you two since Cora and I packed up the camp- thanks for helping by the way- and are ready to go so chop chop." she said while clapping her hands at both of them.

Kelly rolled her eyes and groaned as she made her way past her mom in the direction towards the camp. A nervous Marco tried to catch up to her but was stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder, causing him to audibly gulp. He slowly turned around only to be met with Liliana's smile; a smile that he remembered seeing in some slasher films back home.

"Marcooo, mind explaining what just happened?" she asked without letting up her smile.

"Uhhmm… I.."

"[Chuckles] Oh relax Marco, I'm just pulling your leg," she said while patting him on the back, " **but** if you do wrong by my daughter, well, do I need to say more?" she said with a dark grin, to which a pale Marco shook his head. "Good. As much as I like to mess with you, let's change the subject: tomorrow's the Squire Tournament, correct?"

Marco did a complete 180 at the mention of the tournament, now sporting a serious expression. He ran a hand through his dark hair and nodded. Liliana sighed, "Sorry to do this to you Marco, especially after such a nice moment, but can you show me your scars? [Marco gives her a confused look] It's for your safety, trust me." she said sadly.

Marco didn't want to show his scars but he trusted Liliana enough to do so. He nodded and slowly lifted his shirt to show all the marks that marred his torso. Marco became worried when he saw her frown at seeing them. She switched her gaze from his torso to his eyes, causing him to flinch.

"Marco… when was the last time you meditated?" she asked in a flat tone.

"Ummm… A-A few days ago, w-why?"

"[Frown deepens] Lying will get you nowhere, Marco, so tell me the truth."

Marco sighed and shook his head, now feeling exhausted for some reason. "I haven't… [Sighs] I haven't meditated since the end of my trials." he said shamefully.

Liliana shook her head at hearing the truth, especially since she _knew_ that _he_ knew of the consequences and dangers of not doing his meditation.

"Marco… Hekapoo gave you _specific instructions_ to meditate using the magic infused beads that she made to help with your condition or else the dark magic _can_ corrupt you. Your scars are signs of the corruption _**spreading**_ so do what she-"

"I KNOW!... I… know. Just… the meditation isn't working… it never has. The beads don't work either and we're not exactly on good terms right now..."

Liliana's expression switched from one of shock, at hearing Marco raise his voice, to one of worry. ' _How could that be possible?! If he hasn't been doing the meditation then what has he been_ _ **doing**_ _? Uhh, I'm going to have a nice_ chat _with that demon once I see her!_ ' She looks down at Marco, who is now fixing his shirt, and squints her eyes.

"So, what have you been doing to help your condition?"

"I-I… nothing. I've done nothing, because I don't _need_ to."

Liliana scoffed at him in disbelief. Marco was playing with dangerous magic, magic he didn't fully understand, and he _knew_ that. So why would he think that by doing _nothing_ , it would help? "What do you mean by that, Marco?" she asks skeptically.

"I _mean_ that I no longer need to do anything… I haven't had an episode since the trials and the last time I had a nightmare was… a while ago. [An image of Kelly flashes in his mind and smiles] In fact, things have only gotten _better_ since I stopped trying to do what Hekapoo told me." he said with confidence.

"[Sighs in frustration] Look, Marco, it may seem that way but you couldn't be more wrong… And I'll prove it to you. Tomorrow, while you're fighting in the tournament, _do not_ , I repeat, _**do not**_ use the dark magic inside of you, no matter how much you may want to, and you'll realize what I'm talking about. BUT Just in case things get ugly or you decide to ignore my warning, I'll teach you a technique that _might_ help ( _save your life_ ) long enough for me to get to you, so pay attention. What you want to do is…"

Little did they know, that someone hidden behind a tree had overheard their conversation. The person in question left, without making a sound, to not get caught. The information _had_ to be shared with…

* * *

The morning of the Squire Tournament went by in a blur. The only thing he could recollect happening was Star telling him "good luck" and "to break a leg, but not really!" in her usual bubbly enthusiasm before rushing back to her waiting parents who also gave him words of encouragement, just less loudly.

Other than that, he couldn't remember much. He couldn't even remember if he had breakfast but he assumed he did since he _always_ ate the most important meal of the day.

Marco was removing his hoodie in order to put the chainmail over his shirt before he could put the sweater back on. Sure, he could put on more protection but it would hinder his movements, and he _**really**_ didn't like being sluggish. Next were his pants, which he wouldn't use in an actual battle, so he took them off and was about to put chain mail around his thighs when the sounds of someone walking over to his tent's opening caused him to stop.

He wasn't expecting to see Higgs walk in, into the dressing area for the _men_. She walked past Marco, who was trying to cover himself below the waist, and sat down on the bench that had his equipment neatly organized.

"Uhh, Higgs? C-Can I help you?" he asked nervously.

"[Rolls her eyes] Oh relax, Marco, Jackie says hi by the way... Anyway, I'm just here to wish you luck and… thank you again for… you know."

Higgs's expression of sadness fueled his anger at the people who were responsible for what happened to her, but quickly calmed himself down. Now wasn't the time or place for such emotions.

Marco walked over and sat down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder for comfort. Higgs noticed and appreciated his attempt to make her feel better so she gave him the best smile she could muster, which he gladly returned.

"It'll be okay Higgs. You're safe now." he reassured, "So umm, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready? The tournament is about to-"

He was cut off when he felt her arms wrap around him. She was embracing him! Sure, they were friends and had gone through some heavy stuff not that long ago but they were still rivals!... Right?

"W-Wha-What are you-"

Higgs abruptly stood up, leaving a confused Marco behind, and headed towards the exit of the changing room but stopped in front of it.

"Be careful out there… buddy." she whispered with a smile on her face and then left. The room was eerily silent after that, Marco's brain trying to process what just transpired.

"Okayyy? That happened." he whispered to himself and shrugged before going back to putting on the rest of his new attire. It took a few minutes since he wanted to be sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. Hey, he was still the 'safe kid' after all.

He put all of his… 'equipment' into his trusty magical fanny pack he bought at Quest Buy since he had a feeling that the occasion called for it. He _hoped_ it did.

He turned towards the exit to leave and almost had a heart attack when he saw Kelly there, almost appearing out of nowhere.

" _AHH_ , my heart! Kelly, could you warn me next time before you do that?! I almost had- hey, are you okay?"

Kelly didn't respond, causing Marco to worry. The sorrow, along with other emotions he couldn't quite pick up, in her expression wasn't helping it go down either.

"Kelly, is something wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

The tone of his voice seemed to snap her out of her thoughts, but didn't change her expression. She slowly walked up to him and placed one of her hands on his chest, over his heart. He felt a bit of weight on his chest, noticing that it was her head and tried to get a good look at her face but her beautiful hair was obstructing him from doing so.

Marco feels her head moving, shaking her head, as if saying 'no'.

"Marco… don't do _anything_ that I wouldn't approve of, okay? And… [lifts her head to meet his eyes] be very careful… I want you back in one piece… p-please. I don't want to go in there and bail you out b-but I will if I have too."

The tears that were beginning to form on the corner of her dark eyes, along with the look of anguish and torment, caused something to stir in the deepest parts of his heart. The smile, he _knew_ was forced, on her face caused something to click in his head. The words "misery loves company" came to the forefront of his mind and he instantly knew what he wanted-no- ** _needed_ **to do.

He wrapped his arms around Kelly and brought her frame closer to his.

"Don't worry, Kells. Nothing's going to happen to me. I did promise you that I would be careful, after all, and I plan on keeping it." He brought her body closer to his, trying to show her through his embrace that she had nothing to worry about. "[Pulling away from each other] Now go find your seat Kelly. I'm sure your mom and sister are going to start worrying as to why you're not with them yet."

Kelly wiped at the corner of her eyes and nodded. She gave him a chaste smile, not completely worry free, and left. Marco was once again alone but _this time_ was different.

He had a goal that was different from his original one.

Marco pushed past the changing rooms exit and the first thing he saw were the massive medieval gates of the arena where the event would take place. He smiled and began to make his away over to the gates, surrounded by other competitors going to the same destination.

Random memories of people he met during his Trials caused him to pause mid stride. ' _You walk in the darkness so others may see the light!_ '- ' _You deserve every cut you've been given you monster!_ '- ' _It is often in the darkest skies that we can see the brightest stars._ '- ' _Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light_.'

An image of a dying old man laid out on his bed, in a poorly lit room by a few candles, appears in his mind. ' _The past cannot be changed, Marco, but the beauty of that is that we have the power to change our futures and ourselves... Remember, happiness can be found_ _ **even**_ _in the darkest of times, if one only-_ '

"-remembers to turn on the light." he whispered with a smile, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "And I think I finally found it..."

He resumed his walk towards the gate, until he went under and past them, entering the colosseum-like arena. Someone in a cloak separated from one of the many lines of participants entering the arena and followed after the boy with the red hoodie.

Something seemed to fall out of the cloaked individual's slender hand while pushing through the crowds of people. Among further inspection the object seemed to be made of some kind of parchment...

It was a picture of someone… an older more rugged version… the mole ever present on the person's face.

* * *

 **A/N** : **OMG! That took longer to update than expected but college will be college I suppose. I'm glad I was able to update both of my stories in less than a week from each other after months of not updating (This one was slightly over one month!). I'm just happy to have this update out, along with the other one, because they were way overdue in my opinion lol. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and I'll try to update as soon as I can. Also, keep those reviews and feedback coming! Until next time, peaceee!**


	9. Squire Tournament

**A/N** : **This chapter was finished 3 times! It could have been rather dark but I chose to re-write it because I didn't like how it turned out. People died lol. Anyways, hope you peeps enjoy this longgg chapter!**

 **pocotokomu** **: Thanks for the kind words! And yeah, not a lot of Kelco stories out there sadly. I'll try to update as frequently as I can but finals week for my university is fast approaching and have several essays that add up to about 30+ pages so yeah… it sucks. I'll do my best though.**

 **Guest?** **: I won't deny there are similarities on the surface, but that's only on the** _ **surface**_ **. Kelly and Marco aren't going to 'hook up' right away lol *spoilers*! I'm going to develop it. As for Star, my take on her is giving in to her emotions for Marco since the show kind of brushes it off. Kelly** _ **is**_ **important, in my eyes, in the canon. But she's already different because she is more than just a romantic option for Marco. She's risked her life fighting with him for Pete's sake! I could go on and on about my reasoning but I'll stop lol. Anyway, thanks for the feedback!**

 **OmegaDelta** **: You are correct! As for Eclipsa, she does have a part to play in Marco's life and vice versa. Yeah, Hekapoo messed up and you'll find out who soon. The word 'hunting' is too strong for what i'm going to reveal of the person lol but you're not that far off… as usual! Thanks for the feedback!**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

The arena was _enormous_.

The Colosseum in Rome looked small compared to the arena's size and audience capacity, but appeared to be somewhat similar in design. It seemed that there were thousands upon thousands of cheering spectators from the endless amount of rows that went from top to bottom, while a 'box' reserved for royalty and special guests protruded from one of its sides.

The sounds of the crowd were almost deafening.

The one hundred competitors aligned the arena in a circular formation against the concrete walls with a fair amount of distance from one another. Marco spotted Higgs, who looked pumped up, on the opposite side of him which she noticed and waved 'hi'. He returned the friendly gesture and went back to scouting the other competitors. Needless to say, none of the other squires stood out to him, except for Baby Man, Old Guy and a mysterious looking individual wearing a hooded cloak. For some reason, the moment he laid eyes on said individual, his heart speed up but couldn't make out if that was a good or bad thing.

His attention shifted towards the middle of the arena after several horns went off and the crowd went silent, the Butterfly's butler, Manfred, taking out a note-card while clearing his throat.

"Let's see here… [clears throat again] hear ye hear ye! To all of you and the competitors, these are the rules of the Squire Tournament decreed by the royal family since the time of Skywynne Butterfly!" The crowd erupted into cheers for some reason, and slowly brought it back down. "There are **five** rules: **1** ; Killing is not allowed unless it is _absolutely necessary_! **2** ; Magic, of any kind, is _banned_ from being used and _any_ use of it will be punished severely by the royal family, but weapons _are_ allowed! **3** ; Wounded competitors that can no longer continue the event _cannot_ be targeted by others! **4** ; A competitor is _not_ allowed to forfeit once the event starts so those who plan to better do it now! (No one budged) and **5** ; The winner is the _last one standing_ , there are no draws. The winning prize is the change of title from 'squire' to 'Knight' along with a secret prize! With that out of the way, let the tournament begin!"

The crowd exploded into cheers and incoherent praises.

Once Manfred left the arena, the tension amongst the squires shot through the roof! Everyone's body looked tense and poised for combat except for Marco's, who was looking towards Baby Man and Old Guy's direction then towards Higgs.

Liliana and Kelly's words resonated in his head, causing him to close his eyes. He let out a big sigh and looked up at the sky for a few seconds, thinking of what to do.

Marco looked for any familiar faces in the colosseum and landed on the protruding 'box'. He could barely make out who was there due to the distance. Queen Moon, King River, and Star were sitting on what he assumed to be thrones while surrounded by seats filled with people. He spotted Kelly a bit easier, because of her hair color, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Before he could try to see who else was there, a horn blew out and all mayhem broke loose. Multitudes of squires from different parts of Mewni ran at each other, some even roared before charging, weapons drawn, and began to fight. Not a second passed before a scoreboard appeared out of nowhere above the arena with the number '100' being displayed, which began to rapidly countdown.

The sounds of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the arena, or at least would have if the noise from the audience's cheering hadn't drowned them out. While the squires were battling it out, Marco decided to put his plan into action but needed to get to Higgs first.

From the spot he hadn't moved from since the start of the chaos, Marco spotted Higgs in the general area that he had seen her before, only this time she was fighting against three squires by herself and looked to be winning.

' _She's good with daggers_.'

Marco began to walk towards her, through the mayhem, as if he wasn't in a battlefield. Some of the squires noticed how defenseless he appeared and decided to attack him since he looked like a toothpick compared to them. One swung his mace at him from the front while another tried to impale him with a spear from behind. The third, hidden from view by the clutter of people, shot an arrow aimed at the boy's midsection.

Marco, displaying perfect acrobatics and nimbleness from years of training, propelled himself over the squire behind him and landed a kick, similar to the one Liliana had done to him yesterday, on the spear holder. The squire with the hammer dodged the spear at the last second of being impaled but crashed into the stumbling squire, because of the kick, in the process. They fell to the ground together, where Marco had been moments prior, confused as to what had just happened and began to question their life choices.

The arrow wizzed past their heads and struck some poor squire in the distance. Marco picked up a rock from the gravel-like ground and threw it with a bit of force in the direction that the arrow had came from. It hit the squire in the forehead, knocking him backwards onto the ground with a noticeable thud.

Marco shook his head at the display and resumed to make his way towards Higgs.

* * *

 _ ***At the Royal Box Seats***_

Star was nervous.

Marco had just narrowly avoided being _**impaled**_ but who knew what else could happen! No no, she had to take him out of there before anything happened to him! Yeah, her paranoia was justified!

Moon noticed her daughter acting strange, more than usual anyway, and couldn't understand why. She had attended a Squire Tournament several times before so what she was seeing wasn't anything new. Marco, her best friend, was even partaking in it so she should be cheering for him instead of- sees several squires laying on the ground in small pools of blood, one even had a spear sticking out of his leg- Oh. _Maybeee_ it wasn't such a good idea for Marco to attend an event like this, but Marco was a squire so he had a right to attend. She also had faith that he was going to win.

She might not know Marco as good as her daughter, or her friends, but what she saw of him pleased her greatly. He was a caring, friendly, intelligent, courageous and, most importantly, _cautious_ young man with a bright future. The last one being the major reason why she left Star in the Diaz's care in the first place, since she knew that Marco would keep Star in check. But something seemed off about him lately…

"[Leaning in] Star, is everything alright dear?" whispered the Queen as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You look a little.. pale."

"H-Huh? Oh, y-yea. Everything's fineeee, mom. It's not like my best friend is fighting in a dangerous tournament where he almost got impaled… Yeah, everything's _fineee_. Sparkles and rainbows in fact.."

Moon looked out towards the chaos that was still brewing down at the arena and could now see why her daughter was worried, fifty squires had already been eliminated. She, as well as her husband, had seen what had happened with Marco and the other squires. The Queen would be lying if she said she wasn't a little worried about the earth boy, but Marco proved to be able to handle the situation _extremely_ well, practically perfect. In all honesty, Marco had slightly impressed her with how he handled himself. As for River, he busted out into a hearty laugh while slapping his knee with joy when Marco shook his head at the squires who tried to take him out.

"[Turns to Star] Honey, you're worrying over nothing. In fact, it seems Marco isn't even _trying_ so have a little more faith in-"

"That's not the point, mom! I just… don't want to see him get hurt." Star sighed sadly, but then felt a warmer-than-normal hand on hers. She turned to the owner of the hand and jumped a little in surprise. "T-Tom! W-When did you get here?!"

Tom frowned at his girlfriend's reaction, especially since he had been sitting next to her since the tournament _started_. Sure, he could tell she was worried over Marco, like _a lot_ , but come on. He had presence, he was the demon prince of the Underworld for Hell's sake, literally!

"Star... I've been here the _entire_ time. [Sighs] Doesn't matter. You should listen to your mom. [Gestures towards the arena] Marco's got this. He was able to cut off my hand remember? Not an easy feet for just _anyone_ to do so relax, okay? Besides, we can just go down there to help if things get-"

"Actually, according to the rules, they can't leave or get outside help so doing something like that isn't such a good idea. Oh is that chocolate!"

Everyone turned towards the voice, and some of them gasped, others looked a little uncomfortable, and one person looked indifferent.

"ECLIPSA!? What are you doing here!?" exclaimed both Star and Moon at the same time. Eclipsa ignored them and made her way over to the edge to look at all the fun going down below. She spotted Marco and smiled. Before she could do anything else, she felt a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around, and came face to face with the Queen.

"Eclipsa, you're supposed to be in your tower! How did you even escape past the guards?!" said Moon with panic in her voice, which earned a giggle from the Queen of Darkness. She removed her hand from her shoulder and turned her attention back to the fighting.

"I think we both know that you can't keep me locked up in there forever, Moon. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole broody atmosphere but it's pretty easy to leave if you know your way around the castle- which I helped with improvements by the way- but [pinches her cheek] don't worry your little face about it. I swear that I haven't left the castle grounds since my arrival and why would I even _think_ of leaving anyway? [Spots Marco] _Especially_ with so many interesting things happening right in front of me." she said with a wide smile.

Moon was about to say something when Star beat her to it. "But _why_ are you here?!" asked the princess. Liliana, not enjoying the noise, got off her seat and made her way next to Eclipsa to get a better view. "She's here to watch someone. Why else would she be here?"

"B-But w-who could she _possibly_ be interested in among the squires fighting right now?!" asked Moon. Eclipsa rolled her eyes at Moon's childish behavior and continued watching the boy. Moon huffed out in anger, and was about to call the royal guards when Liliana gave her a look that said "let it go, she's not leaving even if we tried to remove her." Moon groaned in frustration and sat back down next to her husband who simply smiled at her pouting.

Star stood up and took the spot next to Eclipsa, although she was still confused as to why she was here. She didn't look like the type to enjoy violence or blood, according to their previous conversations, so she must be here for someone.

But who?

"Umm, Eclipsa? Who are you here to watch?" asked Star curiously. Eclipsa turned to Star, making eye contact, with a beaming smile. "I'm here to watch _Marco_ of course! He is a friend of mine after all ['a _nd no one else here is worth my time_ ]." Everyone looked stunned after hearing that, especially Star and Kelly.

The green haired girl stood up from her seat and stomped her way over to the Queen of Darkness, a look of fury growing in her eyes, as she stopped inches from her face. "If you are trying to harm Marco in _any way_ I **swear** to everything **sacred** that you will pay for it! So tell me what you want with-" Kelly was yanked by the back of her sweater from a smiling Eclipsa.

"Sweetie, now isn't the time to pick fights, _especially_ with someone you aren't strong enough to handle. [Turns to Eclipsa] _**I**_ , on the other hand, **can**. So what my daughter said goes _double_ for me." said Liliana with a look that screamed murder, with Cora joining in next to her mother and angry little sister.

Eclipsa looked between the three of them, the smile on her face growing, until she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

"O-Oh _my_ , [chuckles] do you all **honestly** think that I want to _hurt_ Marco? Oh, that's rich! Well, to calm your qualms about me, no. I'm not going to hurt Marco… I think he's been hurt enough, already." she said with a sad smile, which further shocked everyone present. The Queen of Darkness was showing _sympathy_ towards someone they _knew_. That's not something you see everyday.

Star, being the first one to snap out of it, eyed the older Queen with confusion. ' _Does she know about Marco's time in the trials? And if so, how much? And how did they become friends?!_ ' she screamed in her head. "A-Anyway, when did you and Marco become friends?" asked the princess bluntly, "I've never even seen the two of you talking or _near_ each other."

"[Sighs] Star, maybe if you _opened your eyes_ and spent more time _with_ Marco instead of with _others_ [Star slightly cringed] you would see that you're _losing_ him… As for how we became friends, well, let's just say he knows how to make a _very_ good first impression." she said with a smile, while taking out a piece of chocolate that Kelly recognized.

Eclipsa saw Kelly step up to her, with less aggression this time. "Oh, you're Kelly right? Marco's told me a lot about _you_. [Smiles] Thanks for looking out for him, dear. It puts some of my worries at ease knowing there's someone looking out for him. [Glances at Star for a split second which she notices] I can see why he likes _you now_."

Kelly's brain short circuited for a second, "L-Likes... me? D-Did he tell you that?!" she asked with big gleaming eyes, causing Eclipsa to chuckle.

"Why don't you ask him yourself after this tournament is over, dear. I'm _sure_ he'll have _something_ to share."

Star, seeing the exchange, frowned. ' _Marco_ _ **likes**_ _Kelly!? No… no no no_ _ **NO**_ _!_ ' She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, making her flinch. She turned around thinking it was Tom but it was none other than Hekapoo, and she did **not** look happy.

Hekapoo didn't say anything, ignoring Moon's questions for her sudden appearance, as she made her way over to Liliana. She looked down trying to spot who she was looking for and spotted him rather easily, standing perfectly still as if paralyzed.

"[Glances at Liliana] You said you would look out for him. You _**promised**_ , so would you be so **kind** as to tell me why Marco is down _there_?" the fiery demon said through gritted teeth while gesturing to the arena.

"[Turns to face her] If I were you, _Hekapoo_ , I would watch my tone. Because the _only_ reason Marco is in danger right now is because of **you**. [Glances at the people around them] I rather we talk about this in private, okay? Besides, I fixed your mistakes by giving him some _useful_ information if things get-"

Liliana turned back towards the arena, now noticing a burly squire with a massive hammer heading towards a distracted Marco, which caused her anxiety to spike. Everyone else, except for Eclipsa, looked confused as to what Hekapoo and Liliana were talking about, some more than others.

Both Kelly and Star sensed a heavy dread clench their hearts, causing them to have trouble breathing, as if the world around the two was collapsing on them. The unpleasant sensation felt familiar, which could only mean one thing.

Tom was trying to get Star to respond to his worry-centered questions while Cora was doing the same with Kelly. They slowly rose their heads from the spontaneous searing pain and made eye contact with each other.

Something clicked in their heads.

The two girls rushed to the railing of the 'box' and searched frantically for Marco.

They spotted Marco and the burly squire next to him in mid swing.

The massive hammer about to make contact with a distracted Marco.

"MARCO!" yelled Kelly at the top of her lungs, hoping to get him to move out of the way.

* * *

 _ ***Back in the Arena***_

Marco saw Higgs not too far from him. In fact, he was less than a few yards from her. As he was walking, something or rather _someone_ caught his eye not too far from him too.

It was the individual with the cloak, but that's not what stopped him in his tracks.

 _No one_ was engaging the cloaked person and he couldn't understand **why**? The figure was surrounded by squires but none paid any attention to said figure, as if they couldn't acknowledge the person's presence. It was almost if the person was…

Invisible.

A _ghost_.

The more Marco stared at the cloaked person, the rate of his heart increased and continued to do so, confusing him further. He could tell their frame was _very_ athletic, slender, and about his height. That's all he could tell with the cloak on since the individual was covered rather well.

He pried his eyes off of the stranger and was about to continue on his merry way when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something that flooded his head with memories of his time in the Trials.

Marco snapped his head back and a gasp got caught in his throat.

The cloaked figure had their hand extended out towards him and, in the palm of their hand, something red in the shape of a small circle glistened in the sunlight. Marco tried to move, to do _anything_ , but he couldn't.

He was frozen.

Marco's eyes were glued to the cloaked person, forgetting about his goal or reason for being in the arena. He became numb to the crowds noise as if his entire being focused on the person he was looking at. The person grabbed the top of their hood and began to slowly pull it back. The first thing he noticed peek from under the hood was the person's curly brunette hair, then the soft facial features that had a mole under one eye, and the _eyes_.

Those hazy-milky eyes confirmed his suspicion on who the person was but it was **impossible**! The last time he saw-

"MARCO!"

That familiar yell restarted his systems, now making him aware to what was going on around him.

Marco barely had time to lift his hands to block as much of the attack as possible but felt the crushing force of the warhammer. He flew towards the wall behind him and, when he made contact with it, a sickening crunching sound echoed throughout the arena. Everyone, even the squires, seemed to notice the horrifying sound and stopped their fighting, trying to locate where the sound had came from.

Marco's body had gone through a solid concrete wall, a sizable hole where he made contact.

Blood was beginning to trickle down the indentation.

* * *

 _ ***Back at the Royal Box Seats***_

Kelly tried to scream again once she saw Marco's body go through the wall but no sound came out. "Marco" she managed to whisper out, panic evident in her eyes, and tried to jump down to the arena but was stopped by her older sister's grip. "LET ME GO! I HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

Star looked _pale_. She was gripping the side railing so hard her knuckles were white. The princess opened her mouth to yell in rage and sadness at seeing her bestie so _so_ … She took out her wand from under her poofy dress and was about to jump the railing, not giving a single _**corn**_ about the rules, but felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and hold her struggling form back.

Star tried to get free but couldn't. All of her emotions hit her like a ton of bricks, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes, some escaping past her heart cheek marks.

"Sorry pumpkin, but I can't let you go down there, no matter how _much_ I want you to." said River in a sad tone. Moon looked down where Marco's body had made contact with a shocked expression and began to feel immense guilt gnaw at her conscience for letting him participate. That warhammer must have _shattered_ his body upon impact.

She was responsible for getting her daughter's best friend **killed**.

Cora couldn't believe what she had just seen. It was so un-Marco-like of him to get _distracted_ in battle! And he had paid for it, probably with his life. She balled her fists in rage and was seriously considering going down there and showing that overgrown-smelly male a world of excruciating pain, even if the punishment for breaking the laws was _death_! Her rage was quickly and clearly clouding her judgement.

Tom's eyes were filled with deep concern after seeing his buddy get smashed through a wall! He couldn't believe Marco had just been done in like that! He knew his friend was a great warrior and could hold his own against almost anything!... But… His anger replaced his concern instantly and was beginning to rehearse a curse but was stopped by a cold look from the Queen.

Liliana was **furious** ; not at the stupid squire for hitting Marco, but at the person who had _distracted_ him. She noticed Marco staring at the cloaked figure and saw how tense he got when he saw something in the person's hand. Once the cloaked person revealed their face to Marco, he seemed to shut down. The next thing she knew, Marco's body had been flung by a warhammer into a concrete wall, which had _blood trickling from it_! He could be **dead**!

Liliana put both hands on the railing, denting it under her grip.

She was about to jump down there when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Liliana… if you jump over that railing I will be _forced_ to punish you for breaking Mewni law. **Please** , reconsider." Moon said sadly, almost begging. The Queen understood her pain and concern but the law was the law. Liliana turned to face the Moon, a look of pure rage in her eyes paired with a calm expression unsettled the Queen of Mewni.

"You can **try** , _little Butterfly_ , but _first_ I have to go save my daughter's friend." Liliana smacked Moon's hand away but was once again stopped, this time time by Hekapoo. The demoness had a lifeless look in her eyes that stared into her friend's soul.

" **Stop**. You're not going down there…. because _I am_." the fiery demoness said with rejuvenated vigor. However, Star had escaped her father's vice grip earlier with newfound strength after the realization that her bestie was bleeding out down there! And reached the railing before her dad could hold her back. She didn't want to think that he was dea-

" _No no no! He can't be_ _ **gone**_ _! I_ _ **NEED**_ _him!_ " Star yelled desperately into the wind. She was a swift movement away from passing the rail but was caught mid-air by Eclipsa, who had been _extremely_ quiet the entire time.

"Hold it, dear." she said with an edge to her voice, "Marco's going to be **fine**. [Smirks] If he were dead, I would have taken care of the barbarian responsible in [snaps] a flash. Besides, I have a feeling he'll be _fine_." Eclipsa said with the best comforting smile she could muster.

Liliana and Hekapoo's eyes widened with fear at hearing the Queen of Darkness' words. They turned their eyes, in sync, back towards Marco and a sense of both relief and dread spread through their bodies.

Marco, next to Higgs, was back on his feet!... but seemed… different.

* * *

 _ ***Back to the Arena***_

Marco couldn't feel his body. He couldn't feel _anything_. The last thing he could faintly remember was approaching the arena's wall at a speed he shouldn't. Was his spine broken? Was that the reason he couldn't feel anything?

Marco could hear approaching footsteps, and could tell the person walking towards him was _way_ bigger than him. Was the person who hit him going to finish the job? But wasn't killing not allowed?

A sharp pain pierced Marco's heart, his entire body woke up from the paralysis it was in, causing him to clench his teeth from the intense pain. His head felt like it had been split in half and the rest of him wasn't doing so well either. For some reason, his cheeks stung like _Hell_. The fogginess in Marco's eyes was beginning to dissipate, a small sigh of relief escaped past his dry lips.

"Soot you _**idiot**_! Why did you do that for!?" yelled Higgs at the larger squire as she attacked him. Higgs was using her agility to dodge the swings of the warhammer, while using her daggers to try and inflict enough pain to get him to back off. She could have taken him out with ease but the previous scuffles had rendered her too tired to be able to use her full strength. The orange haired squire glanced at Marco's direction, realizing she didn't have much time to get him some aid after noticing the growing puddle of blood by the hole in the wall.

He was losing too much blood and _fast_.

" **Why** are you even trying to attack him again!? It's against the rules to attack someone who is down, moron!" She yelled, narrowly dodging a swing at her head by doing the splits and using her arms to propel her way out of an another attack. There was a crater in the earth where she had been seconds before.

Where were the judges to put a stop to this?!

Higgs got her answer when she spotted Old Guy and Baby Man in the background distracting the judges, smirking at her direction while doing so. She frowned, a growl escaping her throat, as she threw her daggers at Soot's feet which he was forced to block unless he wanted to lose the pair.

This gave Higgs enough time to make it to hole and try to find Marco but found it to be too damn dark in there! Higgs searched frantically through the caved in rubble for him but wasn't having any luck. Sure, she was defenseless by doing this but she didn't care.

She had to save her friend!

"Higgs, back off." a low voice from the darkness told her, sending a chill down her spine.

A shadow suddenly towered over her and turned around just in time to see the warhammer coming down. She shut her eyes, waiting for her demise, but after feeling nothing she opened them.

Higgs saw the back of Marco's hoodie and couldn't contain her relief as she fell on her knees, like a sack of potatoes, a smile on her face.

"Rest, Higgs."

Her relief was quickly replaced by concern as she noticed that Marco's voice sounded exactly like the one she heard moments ago. Higgs also noticed a bit of blood running down his arms, a look of panic overtook her. She opened her mouth to say something but felt something prick her arm. In a matter of seconds, her body slacked and fell to the floor.

She was unconscious.

Marco saw Soot rushing at him after getting his bearings from Marco's previous kick to get him away from Higgs. He hadn't seen him emerge out of the hole to land the hit, which confused him, but shook his head and returned to the task at hand.

Getting rid of Marco Diaz.

The burly squire raised his warhammer and brought it down on an unimpressed Marco with all his might.

Time seemed to slow to a halt as a soothing voice penetrated Marco's mind, causing his body to feel the same excruciating pain he had felt in the garden when he talked to Eclipsa. His body was burning up! Like if the sun itself had decided to reside inside of him and was trying to burn its way out. However, he kept his composure.

' _ **Not fair is it? You, who have sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears to help those in need will be killed in front of those you care about because your body is at its limit. It's sad, really.**_ [Chuckles] _**Come on, you know what to do. Do you want those you care about to see you get killed like how you saw those poor orphans get killed while YOU do NOTHING?!...**_ [Buzzing] _**If you want to save yourself, and your friends from the pain of losing someone they care about then DO IT. Give IN to it, Marco. Give IN to the darkness. It's the only way… I'm sorry… but you'll die otherwise and I can't let that happen. You're my-**_ '

' _Sorry, but I won't be relying on you this time... I made a promise_ (glances towards royal box seats) _to someone and I plan on keeping it._ _Besides,_ (looks down at fanny pack) _I have_ _ **other**_ _options available.'_ He put two fingers over the middle of his chest and jabbed it three consecutive times.

Marco felt the pain assaulting his body just… stop, except for a prickling sensation on his upper arm. He clenched and unclenched his bloody hands, now aware that he had gotten his body back to workable conditions. Just in time too, everything seemed to return back to normal as well which meant that the hammer coming down at him was going to flatten him if he didn't do _something_. The chainmail certainly wouldn't help in this case.

Before the warhammer could make contact with his face, Marco used the palm of his hand to stop the hit, much to everyone's astonishment. The hammer suddenly felt incredibly heavy, causing Soot to struggle to keep it up. Marco tilted his head to the side slightly and smirked, fear now apparent in the other squire's scarred and dirty face.

Marco pushed the bloody warhammer towards his opponent a little too hard since the squire flew a few feet back, skidding along the ground until he stopped pinned under the hammer. Everyone looked at him as if he had grown a monster arm or something… [checks] Nope. He's good.

Marco ignored the stares of people as he made his way over to Higgs and even chuckled to himself when a few squires took steps back when he got close. ' _I guess they're scared. Good._ ' He bent down and noticed that Higgs was snoring, much to his amusement.

Marco noticed that her hands were bloody, like if they had gone through a shredder. The extra protection she always had did little to nothing to protect her hands. ' _She must have cut her hands when she was looking for me in the rubble.'_ Marco reached into his trusty fanny pack and pulled out a roll of gauze along with a few vials.

In less than a minute, much to Higgs discomfort, he had dressed her hands perfectly and forced her to drink the odd looking vials, except for an inky one. He had years of practice after all. Her breathing was returning to normal, from the medicine he had given her, as she continued to sleep.

Marco heard heavy footsteps coming at him, accompanied by others, and sighed. He stood up to face them, a hand in his pouch, and a look of annoyance steadily growing.

There was a total of ten squires rushing him.

' _Amateurs_.'

The first two were met by quick jabs to their chests before they could raise their maces to strike him, and now laid on the ground unconscious. Five tried to surround him but, before they could coordinate an attack, Marco threw needles he had taken from his pouch at them. They began to sway until all five hit the ground, a faint snoring coming from them.

' _I'll apologize to Higgs later for using sleep darts._ '

The other two squires dropped their weapons and raised their hands up to the sky, backing away slowly into the crowd, which only left the one that was responsible for the whole mess. A sinister smile spread across Marco's face at the mere thought of what he was going to do to him, but quickly shook it off. He wasn't worth getting in trouble over.

Not knowing what else to do, Soot rushed Marco with his hammer raised, and noticed that the smaller squire was taking something out of his pouch again.

Another vial?

Marco got low on the ground and sweeped his legs, causing him to fall face first. Before the squire could get up, Marco downed two inky vials. Soot stood up, but it was already too late.

Marco had won.

[Kicks a nearby dagger to Soot] "Go on. Stab me. Kill me. Isn't that what you were hired to do?" he said with a smile on his face. He always gave those who assaulted him choices, no matter how much he didn't.

Soot had _no clue_ on what was going on, but picked up the dagger anyway. He had never experienced anything like this before but did know one thing.

If he stabbed the boy in front of him, he was going to... die.

Marco saw the reluctance in his eyes and scoffed. He took the dagger back from Soot and karate kicked him on the chest before he could react properly. Marco plunged the dagger into the burly man's inner-thigh all the way to the hilt and twisted it, pinning his trousers to the ground.

The crowd was silent, not knowing what to make of what they were seeing.

Marco reached into his pouch and pulled out a see-through bottle with a clear liquid. He opened it and quickly doused Soot's entire body with it, taking a few steps back from the now drenched squire.

Marco pulled out a lighter from his pocket and stared at it, hand shaking, before flicking it on. ' _Stupid side effects._ '

He was about to toss it when-

"MARCO! DON'T YOU DARE DO WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO!" yelled Liliana from above, followed by Hekapoo's disapproval. Marco looked up at them and smiled. ' _Oh, if only you knew._ ' He looked back down at Soot, who was struggling to take out the tiny dagger out of the ground, flicked the lighter on and threw it at him.

He caught on fire.

Soot's screams filled the arena. The audience looked on, confused as to why the burly squire was screaming blood curdling murder. Eclipsa smiled at Marco, now seeing what he had done.

After a minute of proving his point, Marco snapped his fingers causing the fire to cease and down went Soot. He laid unconscious, no signs of a fire ever occurring.

Marco then felt a small hand on his shoulder and turned around. His knees gave out. Guilt and shame exploded in his heart at seeing the person standing in front of him or was it a ghost? The cloaked person was not so mysterious anymore since the hood was fully down, revealing their features. It was a girl no older than Marco, probably even younger. The brunette simply stared at him, milky eyes unblinking as she did.

After a few seconds of silence, the girl slowly bent down to Marco's eye level and put a soft hand on his cheek, slowly caressing it. Tears streamed down Marco's face at the physical contact and returned the gesture, making the girl smile sweetly at him.

"You don't belong here, Marco… You're in pain, even I can _see_ that, but don't worry. I'll get you fixed and I'll take care of you, like you did for me." she said with a smile as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Marco felt her other hand putting something on his finger. He looked down and saw a red titanium-looking ring on his ring finger and felt the prickling sensation on his upper arm begin to fade as well as the soothing voice from earlier.

"[Looking back at her] I t-thought y-you were de-"

She placed a finger on his lips, silencing his words, and sadly shook her head at him. "I'll explain everything later, I promise, but this isn't the time and place for a reunion." The girl stood up, quickly followed up by Marco, and gestured to the remaining squires.

"The faster you win this the faster we can catch up. Don't worry about your friend, I'll watch over her." she said with a small chuckle.

"But you can't s-"

"Marco, I'm _aware_ about my condition but don't worry, _safe kid_. I managed to _find_ you with it so I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm not the same little girl you met long ago. [Lightly pushes him] Now go. You reek of blood and sweat." she said with a smirk.

Marco sighed and hesitantly nodded, making his way over to the now confused squires. Who could blame them? They had just witnessed someone survive death, take out ten squires with little to no effort, then ask to be killed, and now return to 'normal'? Yup.

Their confusion was justified.

Marco stopped a few feet from the crowd of squires, his muscles becoming tense, and whistled to get their attention.

"Are you guys ready or what? [Some grumbled yes] Oh and don't think I've forgotten to return the favor, Old Guy and Baby Man."

The two squires gave each other a look and busted out laughing.

"Do you _seriously_ _think_ you can take _us_ down? All of us? [Scoffs] That wall must have done serious damage to your brain because you're _clearly_ delusional. Right guys?" The other squires did not share Baby Man's point of view, especially after seeing what took place.

Marco took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and readied himself. The air in the arena seemed to slightly change, making the squires tense up in caution. He opened his eyes, causing the remaining squires to pale.

They were golden.

Without warning, Marco sprinted towards the unready group and took out three of them with consecutive karate chops to the neck. As soon as their bodies hit the ground, the others registered what was going on and prepared to attack him, now finding a common enemy.

Multiple of them tried to hit him with their weapons but Marco effortlessly dodged every single attempt with precise acrobatics, no movement wasted. Some of the squires even stopped to admire his flawless actions, but that proved to be their mistakes as Marco quickly laid them to sleep.

The counter above the arena was dropping drastically from the start of Marco's onslaught. He had single handedly taken out about a third of the competition while in a couple of minutes, and continued his assault until only Old Guy and Baby Man remained.

No one in the audience could believe what they had just witnessed.

The counter displayed the number of the remaining competitors: _**three**_.

"He must be really eager to talk, huh?" the brunette asked a snoring Higgs.

* * *

 _ ***Back in the Royal Box Seats***_

Everyone was silent after seeing Marco's strange behavior that almost lead to him _killing_ someone by _burning them **alive**_! At least that's how it appeared anyway. They all noticed the girl the second she came near Marco, but where both relieved and confused at seeing his reaction to her, especially after he started crying on his knees.

"See... I told you he would be fine!" Eclipsa said with a reassuring smile.

Her words broke the silence, bringing everyone back to their senses. Kelly took a few much needed breaths after seeing Marco up and about, but knew that he had broken his promise to her for trying to do something she wouldn't approve of and not being careful.

Being close to **DYING** was _NOT_ being careful but she cared more about him being _alive_ than keeping those promises. She can't scold him if he isn't around.

As for Star, well, she had the biggest beaming smile on her face. Her best friend was _alive_ and that's all she truly cared about. Sure, the whole 'I'm going to burn you alive' act he showed after returning was unsettling BUT he was _alive_! She promised right then and there to put her plan of telling him how she felt into full effect, as well as telling Tom.

The second part of her plan was going to get a _little_ crazyyy, but she didn't care. She was tired of waiting for the right time to tell Marco how she truly felt, so she had to act fast. Especially with _Kelly_ zoning in on him. Eclipsa's words echoed in her head and silently prayed that she was wrong.

Moon and River didn't know what to make of what they had seen, but were relieved to know he was alive and well, especially Moon who let out a sigh of relief.

Cora and Tom stayed silent, but were relieved like everyone else to see Marco doing okay.

*SMACK*

The abrupt sound caught everyone's attention, turning towards it, and saw Hekapoo rubbing the back of her head with a frown.

" **That's** for being careless with his treatment." Liliana said with glassy eyes, tears threatening to escape her grasp. "You're lucky he's _alive_. Who knows how corrupted his body now is because of it."

*SMACK* *SMACK*

Both Liliana and Hekapoo rubbed the back of their heads, the demoness not understanding why she had gotten hit twice.

"Would you two calm down? Marco's fine [glances at the stranger next to Marco] thanks to that girl down there. So, as much as _**I**_ , like everyone else, want to go down there to make sure he is perfectly fine, we can't just yet. Whatever that girl did to Marco has sedated his previous derail of character so we should be patient and act civilized." Eclipsa said while keeping her eyes on Marco as a smile began to grow on her face.

The Queen of Darkness genuinely cared for the boy.

Kelly wanted to go to him _**now**_ , especially after her sister's words were confirmed by their mom about Marco's condition, and was about to protest to the Queen of Darkness when she remembered her own promise.

She had let Marco get hurt again… right in front of her eyes. Guilt began to build in her chest, thinking of how much of a failure she was to him for not being able to help.

Eclipsa noticed the girl's internal anguish and placed a reassuring hand on her head. "Hey, it'll okay. I'm sure whatever you're blaming yourself for, Marco's feelings for you will not change so cheer up. He'll be with us soon." she said with a smile.

Kelly nodded and returned her attention, like everyone else, back to the arena just in time to see Marco single handedly take out the remaining squires. She saw who were left and began to cheer Marco on, quickly followed up by Star. She wanted to see those two morons get taught a lesson for hurting Higgs.

' _But who's the brunette_?'

* * *

 _ ***Back to Arena***_

Marco was now face to face with the two _assholes_ who had caused him a great deal of headaches and stress, besides his own personal junk, during his time in Mewni. His rage was beginning to resurface and wanted it to take over just a _little_ so he could give them what they deserved, but couldn't.

He couldn't let himself lose control, especially in front of his friends. Plus the ring would stop things from getting got out of hands. Marco could hear Kelly, Star, and... Eclipsa? cheering for him. He wanted to wave at them to let them know he appreciated the support but decided against it.

He had to focus.

"Before I humiliate you two in front of everyone, tell me what you two did to Higgs before I got involved. Make it quick, I'm pressed for time." he said in a flat tone.

Both squires smirked at him, as if they knew some groundbreaking secret that only he was oblivious to.

"Why don't you _ask_ her, but she may not want to tell you, sadly. (Smiles) But I might as well tell you, since you're going to be dead before this fight is over… We called her into our barracks in the middle of the night to 'discuss' ways to get rid of you- she contributed most of the ideas by the way- and drank a few shots of sweet Mewni Corn Syrup before heading out but she didn't look so _well_." Old Guy said with an obvious look of fake concern.

"Yeah, so we kept her in our barracks while everyone was out that night to watch over her." Baby Man snickered, but Marco doesn't react, so they decided to reveal the _juicer_ _secrets_ to get a reaction out of him.

"She was unconscious, _I think_ , so we made her feel more _comfortable_ by removing a couple layers as she laid on the bed. It wasn't hard really. You can do _a lot_ of things to someone when they aren't awake." Old Guy said with a creepy smile, but Marco still didn't react.

Baby Man, seeing how their words weren't getting under Marco's skin, go frustrated. "We _raped_ her! And-"

Before Baby Man could finish his sentence, a downwards kick to the back of the head drove him into the ground face first, leaving the larger squire embedded into the ground, unmoving.

"I already _knew_ what you did to her so lying to me isn't a good idea." His cold gaze landed on Old Guy, who took a step back. "You didn't rape her BUT you, as well as the other squires, _did_ sexually assault her several times which is still a crime here in Mewni. I should know. I did study Mewni law to help Star. But, _lucky_ for you, I'm not from Mewni. [Begins to walk towards Old Guy] So tell me: would you rather I kill you _**now**_ or **later**?" he said in a dark tone, dripping with killing intent.

Old Guy opened his mouth to say something but Marco appeared in front of him in a blink of an eye, staring into his soul with cold golden eyes. He gripped Old guy's head in-between both hands and began to squeeze with all his strength, "You took too long to answer so I'll just kill you now." Old Guy, forced to stare into Marco's strange eyes, began to see all the horrible things Marco had gone through in the Trials, all the pain, misery, and death. He could feel his life force being _drained_ from him the longer he was subjected to the horror of Marco's life.

Marco suddenly noticed a _very_ pungent smell as well as the sound of water dripping. He looked down at the squire and scoffed.

"I know I went a _little_ overboard with the scare but seriously? You had to wet yourself?"

Old Guy fell on his ass as he continued to do so, the crowd began to murmur at the embarrassing display of the known squire, especially since Marco had done _nothing_. All the crowd had seen was Marco put his hand on Old Guy's face and then take a step back. A few seconds later, he began to wet himself, which counted as a lose in the Mewni guidelines of the event.

The counter displayed Marco's name with the words 'WINNER' in flashing firework displays, which was odd since the brunette still remained... ' _Oh right, she's not a squire... wait... how did she get in then?!_ ' Marco's thoughts were halted when he heard footsteps coming his way.

"You know, if you had your older body, you could have scared them by just _looking_ at them menacingly instead of using mind tricks. [Shakes head] Your younger body fails in comparison to your other one." the girl said as she walked up next to him with Higgs in her arms.

"Yeah, well, if you had _your_ older body, you could ummm… I got nothing." he sighed, too tired to come up with a proper comeback. "Wait… [pokes her face repeatedly] Y-You're… real?" he joked.

"[Smacks his hand away] Of course I'm _real_! Look, Marco, let's get your friend some medical help because those health vials you gave her will wear off, just like those 'booster' vials you took. Drinking two of them at the same time is **highly** inadvisable and dangerous, but you already knew that. [Sighs] Let's find a nice private place to talk soon, okay?" the brunette said with a coy smile. "So what's going to happen to the two chumps you just made an example out of?"

Marco glanced back at Old Guy and Baby Man, and frowned. "Hmmm, I have a friend who will be happy to punish them for their crimes. If not, I can always let you loose on them. [Shudders] On second thought, maybe that's too cruel..."

The girl punched his arm, on her second try, "I'll take that as a compliment." she said with a roll of her eyes. Marco looked at Higgs and then back at her, noticing how awkward she looked since Higgs was taller. "Here, let me carry her."

"No, Marco. You're injured and running on fumes so just lead the way and I'll follow you."

"But _how_ if you can't se-"

Her eyes fixed on his, and even though he knew she was blind, he could swear that she was staring daggers into his head.

"Lead. the. Way." she said sternly, clearly annoyed by his stubbornness.

"... Fine, but hold onto my hoodie's sleeve while we are walking."

"[Blushes] I'm not a little girl anymore, Marco! I can handle myself." she huffed.

"I'm sure you can, _hija_ ," he said with a smile as he turned towards the exit and quickly noticed Hekapoo glaring at him along with Liliana and the rest of the group, "but I think it would be safer for you to do so while I try to explain to a couple of friends about what happened here and introduce you in the process."

The brunette walked a little ahead of him, facing towards the exit and scoffed. "Wouldn't it be _safer_ for me if I _wasn't_ holding on to you? I sense a lot of anger and frustration in that direction... Along with a deep craving for chocolate?"

"Yeah, besides the chocolate part, I was afraid of that… come on. The quicker I get chewed out, the faster I can shower and catch up with you… Err, n-not at the same time of course."

"Aww why not?" she asked with an innocent frown.

Marco groaned internally as they got closer to the gates.

 _Now_ was not the time for _jokes_!

"Wait... what's the secrete prize?"

* * *

 **A/N : Okay wow, about 8100 words! Easily the longest chapter I've ever written! But there's a reason why. I won't be updating this story until Thanksgiving Break, maybe, since I have **_**another**_ **story to work on and I may start a new one that's an AU. It'll be interesting since I haven't read a single story of SVTFOE that has this point of view so it'll be a challenge! I could be wrong though lol. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and thanks for all the support! Reviews are extremely welcomed! Anyways, catch you all next time. Peaceeee!**


	10. The Mysterious Girl

**A/N** **: Well, I'm still alive lol. In all seriousness, I'm sorry for taking such a long time to update any of my stories. I couldn't make time to write and concentrating was hard with work and school taking up all my time, but I'm taking a break from working which is why I'm able to update. Hopefully, you all aren't too upset with me and will like this chapter, because it gets intense and disturbing to a degree, for a good amount of it. Anyway, enough of me talking, on to the shoutouts, which you can skip if you'd like.**

 **Gold Testament** **: Sorry for the delay. I can't express that enough. You'll see some of their reactions, but, well, you'll see. I did their reactions for a reason. I'm not much for dramatics lol. As for Old Guy and Baby Man, they'll get theirs soon enough. I have something planned for those two.**

 **HKShadow714** **: I don't think I've seen you in my comments so welcome! Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait too. Again, sorry for not updating sooner and thanks for the kind words.**

 **Resurrection99** **: I'm glad you liked it! Hopefully, this chapter makes up for my tardiness, even if just a little.**

 **OmegaDelta** **: It certainly seems that way, but was it? Oh, Baby Man and Old Guy will be punished, I promise. Marco will see to it. You'll see who the person is that helped him in this chapter.**

 **fartedandcraped** **: Haha can't get enough of your name. Thanks for the kind words, glad to be doing something right.**

 **TheAllKnower** **: I don't know about masterpiece, but thank you! Also, I'm well rested now.**

 **Aldal** **: Thanks!**

 **AchingHeart2011** **: Hope you'll love this one, and sorry for the wait, once again.**

 **V1kingz-98** **: Lol I was tempted on putting that but I didn't, I don't remember why…**

 **Guest** **: Thanks!**

 **thelegendofstarco : The Kelco takes a backseat on this one sadly, but I'll keep it up in the next chapter!**

 **DJ Rodriguez** **: Now where to start with you lol. I could write paragraphs replying to you, but I'm going to keep it short, this time. I loved reading your in-depth thoughts about the chapters, I really did. Feedback like that allows me to better construct the story and gives me the boosts needed to push these out, besides the need for time of course. I'm super glad you're liking my story! I hope to hear more from you soon, and I'll do my best to keep you entertained.**

 **Macky125** **: Lol I'm flattered that you would do something like that. Sorry for making you stay up lol, but I must be doing something right if you are doing that. And here's the update, hope you like it. Don't be late to work though lol.**

 **Disclaimer** **:** _ **I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic. - Sky**_

* * *

After the unusual events that had just occurred in the arena of the Squire Tournament, Marco, Higgs, and the mysterious brunette made their way over to the awaiting group by the massive gate. Marco was _not_ looking forward to explaining to them, especially Kelly and Star, about his actions but he knew they wouldn't leave it alone until he did. He noticed a bright orange dress mixed in with the group and groaned.

Hekapoo was going to overreact again, just like the last time he went 'dark'.

"Hey, if you're not feeling well, we can go drop off your friend and talk somewhere in private. You don't need to explain anything if you don't want to, Marco," said the brunette next to him.

He sighed and shook his head, "I have to explain to them what's going on with me."

"Well, are you going to tell them who I am? Because I can feel eyes on me coming from their direction."

Marco thought about it for a couple seconds as they continued to walk and turned to his companion. "I'll only tell them who you are if you want me to since I know that if I introduce you they are going to ask how I know you and so on. [Looks at her sadly] Our meeting was… well, you know already. I... also thought you died in that fire... if only I hadn't been away then maybe I could have prevented it. Y-Your father had confirmed that you were lost in the burning stables... I couldn't bring myself to look through the wreckage in fear of finding your body. I'm sorry," he said with heavy regret and sadness.

The brunette's face turned into one of dejection at the mention of that past experience. She had thought she was going to die too but, right when the flames were about to consume her, there was a blinding flash. Next thing she knew, she was waking up on the cold hard ground in some unknown forest. "I thought so too but _something_ saved me... It must have been that weird lady that follows you around. I should thank her the next time I see her, maybe... Anyway, after I returned home, I tried looking for you but you were gone."

Marco was about to apologize to her, but she instantly perked up as if she was reminded of happy memories with the person next to her, and gave him a strong pat on the back which stopped him from following through with his plan. "I missed your kindness, Marco. You have no idea how long I've spent looking for you… I-I almost gave up if it weren't for a poster I saw in a tavern about the Squire Tournament that was being held here, in Mewni. I remembered you talking about a place called like that so I figured I'd give it one last try and [looks at him] here you are." she said with watery eyes and a smile, on the verge of full-blown tears.

Marco shot her a comforting smile and gave her a one-armed hug since she was still carrying Higgs. He patted her head and she smiled, much to his relief. "Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere without telling you first. I promise. [Glances ahead] We'll talk later."

Before she could respond, she noticed Marco stop dead in his tracks and the presence of multiple people in front of them. ' _I better keep my guard up just in case things go sour,'_ she thought. Not even a split second after that, she noticed one of the people in the group rush Marco and she panicked.

Esperanza grabbed and restrained the individual.

"Whoa! Esperanza, let Kelly go!" Marco exclaimed while trying to keep everyone else in the group from attacking her by standing in front of her with his arms spread out. She immediately did what he asked and released 'Kelly' from her one arm choke hold... while still carrying Higgs.

Kelly stood up, trying to desperately push air into her empty lungs, and almost fell over from the lack of oxygen if it weren't for Marco catching her at the last second. Liliana took advantage of Marco being distracted and sprinted past him towards the girl who 'attacked' her daughter. She pulled her fist back and thrust it forward. She was about to make contact with her face when-

* _WHACK_!*

Liliana's face lost all its color as soon as Marco's face met the end of her fist. His head was tilted to the side from the force and she couldn't get a good look of his face due to it. "I-I'm **so** _sorry_ Marco. I didn't-"

"WHAT THE **FUCK** IS YOUR PROBLEM!?" yelled the girl beside Marco, who had laid Higgs on the ground and was now standing in front of him in a karate-fight-stance. She was about to throw a punch at a stunned Liliana when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to face him.

"But, Marco, she hit-" Marco silenced her with a shake of his head, which she was not happy about. No one hurt Marco in front of her and lived to tell about it. Esperanza was about to argue with him but held back her tongue when he lifted his head and saw the look in his eyes.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.

Marco then turned towards Liliana and she cringed when her eyes landed on the massive bruise on his cheek. "Marco, I'm-"

"It's fine, Lily, I'll live." He sighed and looked past her towards the group, "I guess I have some explaining to do."

Hekapoo stepped forward and gave Marco a stern look. "You bet your ass you do."

Marco opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Moon. "I think it would be best if we all took this… _conversation_ into the throne room. We are still out in public and I don't want the citizens of Mewni to see Eclipsa _unless_ she's willing to return to her tow-

"Nope!" said Eclipsa with a grin while keeping her eyes on Marco.

"[Sigh] I thought so." said the Queen of Mewni in a defeated tone.

Marco shook his head at the matriarch, "Sorry, Queen Moon, but I'm not going anywhere until Baby Man and Old Guy are taken care of." he said in a cold tone, surprising everyone there except for Esperanza who simply smiled at him.

"R-Right. [Ahem] River, could you send those criminals down to the dungeons?" River smiled evilly and nodded, sprinting towards the downed squires. "We'll decide what to do with them after our chat, is that okay, Marco?"

He nodded.

' _I'll pay those two a little_ visit _when I can_.' he thought with a sinister grin that no one managed to see.

* * *

 _ ***Throne Room***_

Everyone was now in the throne room, even a recently awoken Higgs who instantly asked Marco what happened to his face, which he dismissed in a nice manner. Kelly, after getting out of the shock of seeing him get punched in the face by her mom, made his way over to him. He was currently leaning his back against a marble pillar with his eyes closed. She also noticed the girl, who had almost caused her to pass out, sitting near Marco's feet playing with... his shoelaces?

Kelly shot a quick glare at her before stopping in front of Marco. She was going to bombard him with questions, like who the hell was the girl by his feet and what the **hell** had happened in the arena, but she decided against it once her eyes landed on his swollen cheek and tired expression. She would have to give her mother, no matter how scary she was, a piece of her mind when they got back home.

"M-Marco, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Marco hummed in response, which she interpreted as a 'yes'.

"I'm sorry for what my mom did to your face… Never thought I would say that to anyone, but yeah. I'm _deeply_ sorry Marco. I'll make it up to y-"

Marco opened his eyes and gave her his signature lopsided-warm-smile that caused her words to catch in her throat, leaving her mouth open as she struggled in vain to get words out. ' _Stupid heart! Don't beat so fast!_ '

"Don't worry, Kells, I'll be fine. It's just a small bruise. Oh, and tell Lily that she has nothing to worry about. I've had worse."

"[Scoffs] Damn right you have," whispered Esperanza barely loud enough for both of them to hear. Marco rolled his eyes at the comment and ruffled the girl's hair with a smile on his face, which she happily accepted without question.

"Umm, so who's the girl?" asked Kelly with a frown at the scene before her.

"Well [notices the Queen gesture to the middle of the room] you're about to find out," Marco said with shrug, then made his way towards the middle of the room, Esperanza right at his heels. The Queen, King, and princess were sitting on their thrones while everyone else was near the foot of the stairs that led up to them. Marco stopped in the middle of them and faced the royal family, almost surrounded him in a circular formation.

"Marco," said the Queen loudly to gain everyone's attention, "could you please tell us what happened down in the arena and who your… friend is?"

Marco nodded and took a deep breath, now facing everyone present. He noticed Hekapoo frowning at him, but he ignored it. "As most of you know, I took Hekapoo's Trials a… while back and during those Trials, I saw some very… _bad_ _things_ … Overall, it wasn't a pleasant experience but I don't regret taking part in them. When I finished the Trials I was honestly thinking of staying in Hekapoo's dimension since I assumed that everyone else in my life had moved on from me. _It had been 16 years, after all_. Anyway, thanks to Star, I returned to Earth but brought along _something_."

Marco cleared his throat, ignoring the looks of shock some of those in the group sported. He also noticed Star's happy-guilty expression, which he wasn't okay with.

She had convinced him (thanks to his love for her) to come back to his timeline and he couldn't thank her enough for it. Seeing everyone again that he thought was gone was one of the happiest moments in his life, even if he didn't have his awesome adult body. What happened before then was both out of his or her control, but he chose to follow through with the path he chose.

It wasn't her fault for that.

It was his.

"Star, don't blame yourself for what I went through. It was all me."

Star looked into his eyes and began to tear up, "B-But it was _my_ **_fault_ **you started them! If only I-"

"Star, it was my own pride that led me to take Hekapoo's Trials and I don't regret it. In fact, I should be _thanking_ _you_ because if it weren't for you I would have never met [gestures to Esperanza] her or other amazing people during my travels. I also wouldn't have gotten some awesome looking scissor-blade-swords." A quick memory of all the people who had helped him flashed before his eyes, bringing with it a look of longing from the earthling.

Hekapoo stepped forward and eyed him and the girl with anger-filled eyes. She took a few more steps towards Marco but was stopped by his 'adult' stare, much to her annoyance. "Marco, why don't you tell them the **truth**? _She's_ the reason you're the way you are! If only you listened to me then maybe you wouldn't be so _corrupted_ and _traumatized_ but nooooo you had to listen to that bi-"

"ENOUGH!" yelled Marco, startling everyone, "She _isn't_ the cause of whatever is going on with me, Hekapoo, so cool it! I've had my scars _long_ before meeting her and it's _because_ of her that I came out of _your_ trials relatively _sane_."

"W-What do you mean by that, Marco?" asked a worried Kelly, quickly followed up by Star.

Eclipsa walked past Hekapoo, a sad smile on her face as she came closer to the teen. She eyed his hand and caught a glimpse of the crimson ring on his finger. Once she was in front of Marco, she asked if she could look at his hand, which he hesitated but obliged.

"Interesting… This ring is imbued with magic, [smiles] dark _ancient_ magic."

As soon as those words past her lips, Queen Moon shot off from her throne and marched towards Marco. "Marco! Give me that ring, it's not safe for you!" She was within arms reach of him and tried to grab his hand but Eclipsa smacked her away. Moon opened her mouth to retort but didn't get the chance, "Moon Moon, not all dark magic is 'bad' or 'evil' you know. _This_ [raises Marco's hand for everyone to see] is keeping whatever is affecting Marco at bay. Of course, what Marco has _isn't_ necessarily dark magic related because I would know, trust me, all of you. [Faces the crowd] Whatever is inside of Marco will not manifest itself like it slightly did back in the arena BUT it has to stay ON. AT. ALL. TIMES." stated the Queen of Darkness in a commanding tone.

"But how is that possible?" asked Liliana, "I've never heard of such an item and wouldn't it be better if Marco abstained from doing anything that would cause his condition to worsen? We don't know what that ring is or could do to him."

"Hmmm you may be right, but the cause could be anything at this point so the question is: Are any of you willing to risk Marco's well being by taking the ring off? Because the ring is the only solid way of keeping him safe, at the moment," replied Eclipsa.

The room went silent.

"That's what I thought, so where did you get this ring Marco or should I ask your friend?" said Eclipsa with a grin.

The girl, who had surprisingly not said anything yet, smiled. She moved next to Marco and faced everyone, giving Eclipsa a smile before returning her attention to everyone else. Marco glanced at her and gave her a look that said 'watch what you say', which caused her to roll her eyes. She cleared her throat and rose her hand for everyone else to see, making their eyes go as wide as dinner plates.

She was wearing a matching ring to Marco's but it didn't have the crimson glow that he had.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ray- [Ahem]Esperanza de Arcanum, princess of the Arcanum Kingdom/dimension and next in line to the throne. I'm sure you're all wondering how I know Marco so I'm going to cut to the chase since he and I need to speak about some _very_ important things. The sooner the better."

"You don't have to tell them how we met if you don't feel comfortable, Esperanza. I'll tell them the short version if you want-"

"No, Marco. [Takes a deep breath] I'll be fine," she replied with a reassuring smile, which he didn't buy at all. Before he could try to stop her from speaking about their encounter, she punched him in the gut hard enough to cause him to shut up but not so hard to cause him actual pain.

"Where was I? Oh yes, well this is how Marco and I met. It all started with a nice sunny day and blue skies… It all went downhill from there..."

* * *

 _*_ _ **Flashback**_ _*_

"Princess! Princess! Are you okay?!" exclaimed the coach driver.

The princess looked around slowly, trying to see through the haziness and commotion that was going on around her. It was kind of hard to get a clear grasp of her surroundings from the hot-almost sandy- ground and the blood slowly going down her forehead wasn't helping. Not waiting for a reply, the coachman picked her up and made a run for it, leaving the carriage and their belongings, along with the chaos, behind.

"W-We need to get away, your highness! Those bandits are clearly after you-" He stopped in his tracks and looked at the dazed princess in his arms, "Y-Yeah, they're after _you_ , aren't th-they?" he said with a look of realization. Before the princess could react to what he was about to do, he dropped her on the ground with a noticeable thud and made a run for the hills.

Literally.

"Ch-Charles!" cried out the princess, "Please don't leave me alone!"

However, her cries were in vain as Charles was desperately trying to get over the patchy-green- hill. "Save yourself you spoiled brat!" yelled back the coach driver. Once he reached the top he looked down at her with disgust before running down the other side where he presumed to be safe from the bandits… boy was he wrong.

His blood-curdling scream only lasted a second before they ended, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise at attention. Something _bad_ was coming towards her, and she could _feel_ it. She slowly stood up, now having a badly injured arm to accompany her concussion thanks to the dead coachman. She glanced back and saw that her chest, full of her things, was near the carriage. If only she could get to it then maybe she could use her mirror phone to call her dad and get rescued, but she had to be f-

The loud screech of an unholy sounding animal startled her out of her thoughts. She quickly glanced towards the direction of the terrifying sound and paled.

At the top of the hill was a group of criminals, known as the Walking Coffin, some of the most notorious and cruel bandits in the known multiverse. Even the MHC couldn't deal with them due to their complex networking and connections, as far as her dad had told her. He had also told her to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction of them if she ever came across the savage group and she intended to follow his advice, now more than ever. She turned on her heels and made a sprint for her chest, noticing the dead bodies of her guards and the bandits that had attacked them laying around that weren't there a second ago, but she shook the image out of her mind.

Her focus _must_ be on the chest.

The princess ran as fast as her slender legs could manage, not giving a single thought to anything else but her chest. It was her only way to _possible_ salvation and she wasn't going to mess it up. She didn't want her streak of living for sixteen-years to end.

"Fuck," she said under her labored breath, now regretting not taking her father's classes and fitness advice. Luckily for her, the chest was mere yards away and a feeling of relief washed over her until she heard that ungodly screech again. For some reason, she decided to turn around and what she saw caused her to turn up her speed to its absolute limit.

The Walking Coffin members were going right towards her! They were riding on some giant lizard-horse hybrids and gaining on her somehow! Esperanza turned back towards her saving grace and opened it as soon as her knees touched the ground next to it. She desperately rummaged through her belongings, but couldn't find her mirror phone and was about to give up… but then she found it!

She flipped open the small gadget and scrolled down her contacts, now wishing she didn't know so many people. Once the digital bar landed on her father's contact information, she dialed that thing like her life depended on it because it **did**! There was one ring… two rings… three rings…

Then she heard her father's groggy voice, probably barely getting out of bed. "Rayla? Have you arrived at your mother's y-"

"DAD! SEND HELP! BANDITS ATTACKED US AND-"

An arrow whisked mere nanometers from her face and impaled her phone to the carriage that was shielding her from the harsh sun, effectively destroying the small gadget into many pieces. The ice-cold sensation of death washed over her quickly followed up by panic. The princess slowly and begrudgingly turned her head towards the direction that the arrow had come from and all hope of surviving died in that instance.

There were about twelve members of the Walking Coffin and their bizarre mounts right in front of her, some looting of the dead guards that were supposed to protect her. The head member of the group began to walk towards her, causing her to stand up and go into the fighting stance that her father had so meticulously ingrained into her memory albeit shakily. This action seemed to get the attention of all the members, especially the one she assumed to be the leader. It was kind of hard to tell who the leader was since they were all wearing a black cloak, face mask, vest, guards, boots... basically black everything.

The 'leader' wagged his index finger at her as if she did something she shouldn't have, which only made the tension in her body that much more intense.

"Tsk tsk, princess," said the distorted-muffled voice, "You shouldn't be looking for a fight you clearly can't win." The members snickered at their leader's comment. "All we want are the chests full of jewels inside the carriage so if you stand aside we'll let you live."

Jewels?

How did they know about her mother's jewels? Only a select few knew they were with her… She had been set up!

Rayla glanced around at the rest of the members and, even though their faces were covered, could feel their eyes undressing her. She was getting the same sensation the 'high-class' boys gave off when they looked at her.

It was sickening.

"Y-Yeah, for some reason, I-I don't believe you," said the princess with a bit of bite behind her words, trying to mask how scared she truly was, but her voice, unfortunately, cracked at the end. The leader put his hands up and shook his head, then reached into his cloak and pulled out a long-jagged dagger.

"Alright, princess, tell you what. If you can land at least _one_ hit on me with this dagger, I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you. You have my word." he said with a bow.

Rayla eyed him suspiciously and was startled when he tossed the dagger by her feet. She slowly knelt down and examined the dagger, noticing the green flakes and scaly handle. Her eyebrows knitted at the sight.

Something wasn't right about that dagger.

She stood upright and kicked the dagger to the side, out of the reach of the members.

Out of nowhere, all the members erupted into laughter, except for the one who had tossed the dagger. Violet could tell he wasn't happy. "Hahaha, looks like someone finally saw through your poison trick Renar!" teased one of the members, followed up by the others. "This little princess has some spunk. [Chuckles] Let me have some fun with her, Renar, you had your chance."

The one known as Renar turned towards his fellow members and they instantly silenced whatever it was they were doing or planning. The air had noticeably turned icy, which was unnerving considering they were basically standing in a desert at high noon. He then turned back to Rayla and whatever resistance she had in her body vanished. The intense glare he was shooting behind the mask was almost paralyzing to the point that she was having trouble breathing.

The next few seconds went by in a blur to her.

All she saw was him slightly inch towards her, then felt the air get knocked out of her, and was now having her face viciously smothered into the ground which was making it extremely hard to regain her air.

"You think you're a smart shit, huh," said the angry voice above her, "Just for ruining my fun, I'm going to ruin something of yours." Violet felt a heavy force collide with her temple, followed by excruciating pain traveling inside her head. Then another hit… and another… and another… and another.

It was numbing.

Renar had struck her temples so many times that all she could ' _see'_ were dark shapes and outlines, and he would have continued if it weren't for one of the members pulling him off of her, leaving her in a bloody catatonic state.

"Whoa calm down, Renar, we still need her alive if we want to get more gold out of the King of Arcanum."

Renar pulled away from him and gave the princess a hard placed kick in her stomach, causing her to wheeze out in pain before he kneeled down next to her face. He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head up to face him. He smiled evilly at her, a look of lust in his crazed-covered-eyes, "Listen, here's my new proposition, just lay there and we'll have some fun with you before we kill you, then we'll track down your younger sister and do the same to her, deal?"

A renewed strength rushed through the princess at the mention of her innocent younger sister which allowed her to headbutt him square in the nose, effectively breaking it in the process. He recoiled in pain, much to his group's amusement. She reached for the suspicious dagger that she had kicked near herself, stood up shakily, and looked at the slightly hazy figure before her, now realizing that her vision was beginning to fail her.

The rest of the members realized what she was planning on doing, except for Renar who was trying to stop the bleeding in his nose, so they couldn't react in time to stop the princess from slamming the jagged blade into the leader's stomach. However, she couldn't push more than half the dagger into him since her strength was rapidly fading and the previous burst had done a number on her body. The chest piece he had on had also softened the strike for it to not be fatal.

In a matter of seconds, her upper body was showered with arrows.

She was done…

She crashed onto the ground…

She had failed in killing Renar.

"YOU DUMB WHORE!" yelled Renar furiously then kicked Violet on her already bruised stomach and side, a cold sensation now lingering on her being.

The voices around her were soon beginning to sound muffled and distorted as if time itself was slowing down. ' _Huh,_ ' she thought, ' _I guess this is what it feels like when you're dying…_ ' She blinked slowly, looking up at the beautiful blue sky and smiled. At least she would die looking at something beautiful.

She couldn't really ask for more.

Rayla wasn't the kindest person, but she wasn't mean either. She loved her family very much, and they loved her back. Her life had been full of what-ifs, always afraid to take the next step, which was why she was heading towards her mother's place. So she could teach her how to be a proper lady and marry her off because she wasn't really good for anything else, at least that's what the nobles had told her. She was also mediocre at everything she tried so the least she could do was marry some stranger to help her family and kingdom… It's funny how one thinks about such things when they are on the verge of death… when it doesn't matter anymore.

Rayla's vision was turning pitch black, no longer able to see the beautiful blue sky. She couldn't even feel the pool of blood that was surrounding her anymore, the strong iron smell of it, or Renar and some other member's hands all over her body, which was a good thing.

She was dead to everything around her.

She felt her eyes closing and took one last shaky breath, ' _Guess this is it… Sorry I couldn't meet your expectations dad… take care of Rose for me_.' And with that last thought, she was ready to pass on to the next li-

The rippling sound of a portal and a dragon cycle erupted throughout the air, shocking Rayla back to life long enough to faintly see the silhouette of a guy, probably not much older than her, with a decently large muscular frame pass over. He jumped off his dragon cycle, tackling the sick fucks trying to defile a dying girls body, and sent the sentient bike to distract the other members.

Rayla's head fell to the side, giving her another chance to look at the stranger who had rescued her innocence, even if it didn't matter because she was still dying… Fuck that, it still mattered. The Coffin members the guy had tackled had their heads bending in the wrong direction, and he didn't look like he was done with the notorious group. He reached into his pouch and threw a circular object at the scrambled members, causing a set of mini explosions to go off, giving him enough time to rush to a rapidly fading princess.

" **Fuck** … not _again_. I won't let you die, not like _them_." Rayla slowly glanced up at him, using all the strength she had left to see the face of her hero. ' _What a cute scar_ ' was the only thought she managed to conjure up before fading into the endless void.

...

Suddenly, she felt her heart get jump-started and the feeling of a metal rod exit her chest.

Her body went into shock, the darkness dissolving around her.

Rayla let out a violent gasp, air, and blood finally making its way into her lungs and system.

Before her body could do anything else, her hero opened her mouth and forced her to down two red vials, that tasted like Xu fruit (a fruit in her kingdom). She could feel the life beginning to return to her due to the unknown liquids and glanced back at her savior, giving him an eternally grateful look.

He shot her a quick smile, that turned into a stone-cold expression just as fast. His eyes were starting to turn golden, a solid form of it rapidly swirling around his pupils.

It was hypnotizing.

" **Stay here. I'll take care of the res** **t** ," the man said in a deep cold tone. He stood up and faced the members who had managed to chase off his dragon cycle. They were holding sharp weapons and several were aiming their bows at him, ready to fire enchanted arrows.

"W-Wait.. wh-at's your n-name." she struggled to say before he could jump into action.

He glanced down at her and smirked, "the names Marco, at your service."

Before she could respond and give him her name, he rushed at the group, ready to kill.

It was Marco vs. nine of the Walking Coffin members and the entire thing all happened in slow motion before her eyes, which in reality was only a few minutes.

The two groups looked at each other for a split second, sizing each other up, before Marco unsheathed his obsidian flaming katana and slashed into the air, sending an arc of flames at the murderous group. All of them managed to evade it, which was exactly what Marco wanted since they were all separated now.

Marco singled out the nearest Coffin member and began his onslaught of attacks, which were too much for the murderer. Marco was using the katana as if it were an extension of himself, fluidly and with deadly precision. He was about to land the killing blow when he had to barrel-roll to the side to avoid multiple arrows that exploded on impact. He swiftly recomposed himself in a ready stance, sword in hand, off to the side, and faced the group once more.

"Who the _fuck_ are you?!" asked one of the members.

Marco didn't reply but instead smiled as he impaled his katana into the ground and twisted the enchanted blade, causing a fiery fissure to swallow two members who were standing too close to the attack. Now, there was an infernal chasm between Marco and the Walking Coffin.

"I would love to tell all of you psychotic degenerates who I am but it won't matter [pulls sword out] because you're all going to be dead soon," said Marco with an unnerving smile.

A few of the members took a couple of steps back, confidence beginning to decrease among their rank. The second-in-command noticed this and growled. "WE ARE THE **WALKING COFFIN** AND NO WANNABE HERO IS GOING TO STOP US!" He unsheathed a set of daggers from his waist and rushed Marco, jumping over the chasm, thinking he was going to show the wannabe his place.

The gold in Marco's eyes was almost molten-like, giving him a crazed look. He waited for the new leader to penetrate his sphere of defense to end it all in one strike. He was going to just give them a quick death but, after seeing what they were going to do to the poor girl, he changed his mind.

 _These fuckers were going to **pay**_.

 _No more **pity**_.

 _No more_ _ **mercy**_.

The leader was centimeters from burying his daggers into Marco's sides when a colossal force struck him square in the chest.

All went silent.

The newly appointed leader looked down at his chest shakily and noticed that Marco's fist had gone cleanly through him, and could slightly feel something squeezing his rapidly beating heart.

"Huh, so you _do_ have a heart."

Marco crushed the heart in his hands and pushed the dead body away. He shifted his attention to the remaining soon-to-be corpses and smiled at the looks of horror on their faces. "Oh come on now, I hope I didn't scare you _too_ bad."

Renar and Durlan, who was now dead, had been their strongest members, but that didn't mean the rest were weak.

There were seven of them left: two of which were glowing with magic, two archers, one had a claymore, another a spear, and the last one was holding a grimoire.

Marco quickly glanced at each one and frowned, ' _I guess I'll have to use a small amount of_ that _power again… Sorry old friend but I must break my promise, just for a bit._ ' He sheathed his sword, extinguishing the flames, and closed his eyes.

"Are you mocking us?! Kill him!" ordered the _new_ leader.

The mages launched a torrent of flames and lighting from their hands, the archers released their arrows, and the one holding the grimoire was saying an incantation while the other two held back, for now.

Marco took a deep breath, reeled his fist back, and punched towards the combined attack that was heading his way. A sonic boom erupted from his fist, causing a stream of strong winds to collided with the attack, completely canceling the group's effort. The group that had launched the attack stare on in shock, now realizing that they weren't going to hurt this guy.

However, the weapon users were still optimistic, as well as the grimoire user.

The two warrior-types ran at Marco, weapons ready to slice through him. The incantation was now ready for use, and they knew it. The grimoire user raised his hands towards his comrades and they were engulfed in a golden glow, which boosted their movements and strength by an enormous margin.

The one using the claymore swung at Marco (which he sidestepped) and the spear user aimed at his leg, both moving at unthinkable speeds. However, Marco caught the spear between the bend of his leg and pulled the spear user towards him. He then landed an open-palmed strike on his chest, sending the Coffin member a few yards away at an alarming rate.

Marco suddenly felt the cold familiar feeling of steel against his skin, bringing his attention towards the spot. "HA! Looks like your luck is up douchebag!" The latino man had a claymore embedded into his shoulder but looked unfazed. He turned his attention at the injury and growled, taking a hold of the enchanted blade in his hand. Marco began to slowly push the large blade out of his shoulder, which the horrified Coffin member was trying to stop by putting more force into his claymore, but it proved to be doing him no favors.

"You and your group deserve the _**worst**_ possible deaths… **so I'm going to give them to you**." snarled Marco, before pushing his body forward so the sword could pierce all the way through. He grabbed the individual's head with his free hand and held it in place so he could gaze into his eyes. The gold in Marco's eyes began to swirl and glow to an unstable degree.

The poor fool who had attacked him could do nothing but watch in horror as all his sins were reflected right back with the seething intensity of a hundred suns. He couldn't even scream out in agony fast enough before ruptures began to emerge throughout his body with golden light seeping through.

Marco sluggishly kicked the husk before him that turned into ash as soon as it hit the ground.

A gust of wind soon passed, taking the ash and all the malice it once had with it.

Marco eyed the horrified spearman on the ground and scowled. He pulled out the sword out of his shoulder with a sickening sound and began to walk towards him, dragging the bloody blade along the ground.

" **Your evil** … **must be ended** … **ended** … **ended** ," he continued to drone on and on with every step. The individual on the ground snapped out of his frightened state and noticed Marco getting closer. He scrambled to his feet and began to run in the opposite direction, screaming bloody murder all the way. "STAY AWAY MONSTER!"

Marco frowned at being called that but, then again, he was always called that by the Walking Coffin members before he killed them. ' _Me, a monster?..._ ' He lifted the sword over his gushing shoulder and threw it like a spear.

It passed through the majority of the member's midsection, causing all his insides to spill on the ground, followed by the rest of his body in a pool of blood and decaying flesh.

Marco was then pelted by volleys of arrows, magic, and lightning blasts, causing dust to engulf the area.

"D-Do you think we got h-him?" weakly asked the smallest member of the bunch.

Before any of the others could respond, two hands from the dust cloud grabbed the side of his face and crushed his skull with a sickening **crunch** , dropping dead to the ground. A pair of golden orbs suddenly appeared inside the low-visibility dust and... set it's gaze onto the others.

The last magic user panicked and unleashed all the remaining magic possible at the hidden 'creature', managing to clear the dust cloud away and what was revealed made them wish for the dust cloud to come back.

Marco was radiating _power_ with such a ferocious intensity that the very ground he was on was cracking from the immense pressure. His eyes landed on the foes before him and grinned, " _ **It's time to face judgment**_!" He bellowed out, followed by a loud snap of his fingers.

There was a blinding flash…

Followed by ear-piercing screams of pure agony...

Then silence…

The debris began to clear and the light began to settle back to normal.

The one individual who had witnessed it all was laying on the ground trying to process the entire thing. She wasn't scared of the person in front of her, because she had noticed that he moved away from where she was so as to not involve her. There was also the fact that Marco was only directing his wrath towards the murderous group… which now appeared to have vanished entirely, which she was _deeply_ thankful for.

She slowly stood up from the hard ground and began to make her way over to a still Marco, not even bothering to check if he was in his right state of mind. "H-Hey, are you okay?" asked the princess but didn't receive an answer. "I said are you-"

Marco suddenly lurched down and coughed out large amounts of blood, which he tried to contain by covering his mouth with little success. He fell to his knees as an unspeakable pain wracked through his body, forcing him to scream out in excruciating agony. The sudden action startled Rayla, causing her to kick Marco on the ribs, which she deeply regretted right after.

"Shit, I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to hit you!"

If Marco heard her, he didn't show it and instead continued to stay hunched over in pain. Rayla noticed that he needed help so she gently placed her hand on his head, "I'll go get help just stay put." She turned around to hopefully be able to use one of the weird hybrid mounts, but a hand gripped and stopped her from doing leaving.

"I'll be f-fine. [Groans] It's just a s-side-effect from pushing myself too hard," he whispered in a hoarse tone.

' _I told you to not push yourself too hard, my harbinger of justice. Shhhh, rest, for now. I'll take care of the rest._ '

Marco didn't have the strength to argue with the voice and collapsed onto the ground, as blood continued to seep out of his mouth and the open wound on his shoulder. Rayla panicked at the sight before her and kneeled down next to him, trying to wake him up.

After several tugs and smacks, nothing seemed to work.

" _Of course that wouldn't wake him up, he's a heavy sleeper_." said a voice startling the poor girl.

"W-Who said that?!" asked Violet.

A transparent form of a woman wearing flowing robes slowly appeared before her eyes, almost giving her a heart attack. " Who the _fuck_ are you?!"

"[Chuckles] _Not much for lady-like language I take it. Anyway, I can't keep this form for long so here, take these. I think it's pretty self-explanatory and it'll help with the drawbacks._ " said the shimmering apparition.

"What are you- [feels something on her fingers] huh?" the princess looked down and saw a crimson ring on each hand. They looked to be plain and made from a cheap alloy but the glow coming from them told a different story. "Thanks, I guess? So who are- notices the apparition had vanished- you? Huh… I must be seeing things thanks to my concussion and the blistering heat… I _hope_." She looked down at the unconscious man and couldn't help but study his well-sculpted face. He had sharp features and the scar over his eye was certainly getting her attention… but right now she had to save his life!

The poor guy was bleeding out!

Rayla placed one of the magical rings on him (since the other wouldn't budge) and patted him down to try to find more of those red vials and ended up finding them inside his bag-thingy, much to her relief. She mirrored the actions he had done to her before rushing off to fight those bastards. While trying to sit him up-right, something fell out of his worn jacket that made her eyes go wide with happiness.

It was a mirror phone!

… With a unicorn sticker?

The princess quickly picked it up, ignoring the fact that she was breaching the guy's privacy but decided that using it to save his life was a good enough reason to violate such a thing. She quickly dialed her father's number (which she should have done instead of searching for it on her own phone! Dumb brunette!) and waited for the annoying ringing on the other side to end.

"RAYLA! IS THAT YOU?! ARE YOU-"

"I'm _fine_ , dad… Mentally, emotionally, and physically scarred but fine. [Glances at Marco] I can't say the same for the guy that saved me from the Walking Coffin thugs."

"Oh heavens! Stay where you are, don't move! I'll send help, just keep the phone _on_ so I can pinpoint your location! See you soon!" the King screamed out before ending the call to summon his personal guard and rescue party.

Rayla sighed and plopped down on the ground next to Marco. The entire weight of the situation she had found herself in moments ago had finally caught up to her and she was _drained_. ' _I'm definitely going to have nightmares... **great**._' She turned to her unconscious hero and gave him a small smile of appreciation. He had saved her, there was no doubt about that. Whether that was intentional or not didn't matter because the facts were that she was very much alive, if her rapidly beating heart was any indication, and that was what ultimately mattered in the end.

She knelt down and slowly placed her hand on his dark wild hair, patting it softly.

' _At least now I don't have to go to my mom's,_ ' she thought with a happy sigh, ' _fuck that place_.'

* * *

"Annnnnnnd that's how Marco and I met. Pretty intense huh? My vision is still messed up though, partially blind." she said with a chuckle while waving a hand in front of her face. "After that, jumping a bit ahead, Marco and I had many adventures together but [looks over at him] I'll keep that between us for now."

Everyone in the throne room was shocked, appalled, stunned, surprised, and an array of so many other emotions that it was a sight to behold.

Marco rubbed the side of his temples, expecting them to react that way but, hopefully, they wouldn't think differently of him. After all, there was no need for him to go to such lengths anymore… The Walking Coffin had perished by _his_ hands, with some help from Esperanza. He had made _**sure**_ of that.

"M-Marco, is all of that t-true?" asked a pale Star.

He nodded but rose his hand to stop her from saying anything else.

"Star, I'm fine. Those days are behind me and I can't even use that level of power since I don't have my adult bod anymore. As for the ring, as Eclipsa said, I think it's for the best for me to keep the ring on until a safe way to help my condition shows up."

Liliana and Hekapoo exchanged quick looks between each other, as if having a silent argument, then turned to Marco. " _Alright_ , we'll do it your way, Marco. Hekapoo and I will look for alternatives to help you so take it easy in the meantime, okay? _**I mean it**_." she said with a cold-stern tone at the end.

Marco paled and nodded rapidly, earning a smile from the scary amazon-like woman.

"I'll help too," Eclipsa chipped in, "I don't know if it's common knowledge but I am _pretty good_ when it comes to weird magic related things," she said with a giggle.

"I will also look into this, Marco. You have my word. I can't have my daughter's friend in danger under my watch." Queen Moon stated in her regal tone.

Marco smiled at the people surrounding him who were willing to help when they clearly didn't have to. They could have just thrown him into the loony bin or worse… tried to restrain him or _something_. Everything seemed to finally be turning for the better for the Earth boy… until Kelly's jeal-curiosity got the better of her.

She eyed the rings on their hands and scowled, "Wait, so why is _she **still**_ wearing a ring too?"

Esperanza (Rayla) shot a mischievous smirk at the bushy-haired girl, causing her eye to twitch slightly, and intertwined her fingers with Marco's to further piss her off.

"Oh, that's because I'm promised to him."

Marco eyes shot open in horror at hearing those words and quickly opened a portal with his scissors, dragging a laughing Esperanza through it before she said anything else to cause him trouble.

The portal closed just in time to avoid getting sliced in half by Kelly's giant sword.

* * *

Marco and Esperanza appeared near the Mewni River, not far from the massive body of water. He shot her a glare, which ended her laughter on the spot. "[Sighs] So, what did you want to talk about, _hija_?" he said with a smirk.

"I told you to stop calling me that! I **_hate_** when you call me your daughter! It doesn't even make sense!" the brunette fumed.

Marco laughed at her reaction, knowing it would piss her off. "Haha, sorry. That's payback for the joke you said in the throne room... So what' up?"

Esperanza eyed him angrily for a few seconds before it turned into one of sadness, "Marco... come back with me to Arcanum... I need you." she said with watery eyes.

Marco gave her a confused look, which she expected. "What do you mean?" he replied, "Is something wrong?"

She stared into his chocolate brown eyes (she tried to anyway) and sighed, a single tear making its way down her cheek. "It's my dad... He's sick and he doesn't have much time left... The council is getting restless about me not having a King when... he passes."

His expression morphed into a sad one at hearing the dreadful news, which turned into an angry one at hearing about the council. He walked up to and hugged her, rubbing her back as she began to sob to reassure her. "Alright, I'll go with you since I _was_ told to take it easy. [Sighs] So when do we go?"

She looked up at his face and sniffled, "N-Now?"

He nodded and opened a portal to the kingdom he hadn't seen in years. Esperanza rushed in with tears soaking her cheeks and he decided to follow, but not before sending Kelly and Star a mirror phone message:

(Kelly) " _Hey, ummm, I'm going to go help Esperanza with some family problems so I'll be gone for a few days, but I'm sure it'll be less than that for you guys due to time differences in dimensions... When I get back we'll talk about... you know, what we talked about in the forest. See you soon, Kells, keep an eye on things for me (: "_

 _(Star) "_ _Hey, ummm, I'm going to go help Esperanza with some family problems so I'll be gone for a few days, but I'm sure it'll be less than that for you guys due to time differences in dimensions... Star, when I get back, we'll have to talk about something I've been meaning to say to you for a while now... See you soon, Star, and_ please keep _Glossaryck out of my socks!"_

Marco closed his mirror phone and ran a hand through his hair, ' _Alright, Marco, time to play the role of a King to help your friend out... What's the worst that could happ-_ '

The boy facepalmed.

He was _this_ close to jinxing himself, something he didn't need to add to his endless drama.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** Once again, sorry for taking _months_ to update. I couldn't concentrate on writing so yeah, however, I do have good news! My _Mewni's Champion_ story will be updated in about a week, I've already outlined the chapter so look forward to that… Lol, you people have no reason to believe me after not keeping up with my 'deadlines' but I'll do my best to keep to my word. Anyway, thanks for all the support like always and see you all next time, peaceeee!

 **P.S : **I have some more planned for Esmeralda (Rayla). The next 'episode'/chapter should mostly be about the monster bash so yeah. Also, I've been thinking of doing an Eclipsa x Marco story but I don't want to have _too_ many projects out… Hmm, what do y'all think? Let me know!


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